A suspected nitrous-oxide user turned a routine traffic stop into a rolling spectacle across Los Angeles late Thursday, casually clutching a balloon while squad cars tailed behind.
In a video posted March 12 by FOX 11 Los Angeles, a car is seen threading through surface streets as the person in the driver’s seat repeatedly raises a small balloon to their face. The station identifies the substance as nitrous oxide, also known as NOS or “whippets.” The footage, however, does not show how the pursuit ended or whether anyone was arrested or injured.
Why nitrous oxide in cars is a growing concern
Nitrous oxide is legally sold for industrial and culinary purposes, but it has resurfaced in party and festival circles, worrying public-health officials who point to risks like suffocation and nerve damage, experts told the Los Angeles Times. The Times also described an FDA advisory warning about recreational inhalation and recent city-level talks about tightening retail sales as the drug pops up more often on social media.
Legal consequences and pursuit rules
California specifically addresses recreational nitrous use in Penal Code Section 381b, which prohibits possessing or using the gas with the intent to inhale it for intoxication, while exempting legitimate medical or dental administration. Separately, drivers who willfully flee from officers can face misdemeanor or felony evading counts under Vehicle Code Section 2800.1 and related statutes when their actions threaten people or property.
Other recent episodes around Southern California
Law enforcement in the region has been bumping into nitrous oxide in other traffic incidents as well. On March 6, NBC Los Angeles reported that deputies in Malibu stopped a reckless driver and discovered a nitrous-oxide tank along with open containers of alcohol. Last September, Hoodline reported on a nitrous-oxide-fueled chase that ended with an arrest in Alhambra and the discovery of cocaine.
Officials say huffing inhalants behind the wheel sharply raises the odds of a crash because the gases can briefly knock out coordination and even consciousness. This story will be updated if authorities release more details about Thursday’s Los Angeles pursuit.
