Outside bars and clubs in German cities, canisters and balloons of nitrous oxide have become a common sight, fueled by social media trends that make the drug look harmless and cheap. This DW Close Up episode follows young users who inhale the gas for a few seconds of euphoria, and talks to doctors treating the nerve damage and vitamin B12 deficiency that can follow repeated use. The film traces nitrous oxide's longer history, from its first use as a surgical anesthetic in 1844 to its everyday role today as a whipped-cream propellant and a performance additive in motorsport. It explains why the gas has stayed legal and easy to buy over the counter in Germany even as emergency rooms report more cases of paralysis and addiction among teenagers. The film closes on the German Cabinet's 2025 decision to classify nitrous oxide under the New Psychoactive Substances Act, banning recreational sale to minors while carving out exceptions for industrial and scientific use. Interviews with users, medical experts, and health workers carry the reporting throughout.