May 2, 2026 | Diana Yates, News Bureau
Two new studies co-authored by Health and Kinesiology Assistant Professor Rachel Hoopsick offer insights into the spread of nitrous oxide misuse among adolescents.
What Hoopsick found in two studies: Millions of Americans were exposed to content about recreational nitrous oxide use from just 30 social media videos uploaded in early 2025. And younger teens were more likely to engage in inhalant misuse than older adolescents, with teenage girls being more likely to develop inhalant misuse disorder than boys.
Hoopsick led the two studies with University of Mississippi public health professor Andrew Yockey, who will join the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty in August.
“Inhalant use can cause serious harm, including neurologic damage, hearing loss, liver and kidney dysfunction, cardiac arrhythmias, psychological dependence and even sudden death after a single episode of use,” said Hoopsick.
The researchers shared more about their findings with the Illinois News Bureau. Read the story online.
Editor’s note:
To reach Rachel Hoopsick, email hoopsick@illinois.edu
To reach Andrew Yockey, email rayocke1@olemiss.edu
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