SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- District Attorney Summer Stephan issued a public safety warning this week about a concerning rise in DUI cases involving nitrous oxide, also known as “whippets,” after an uptick in fatal crashes in San Diego County.

In an 11-month span since October 2024, prosecutors filed charges in three fatal DUI cases involving the use or suspected use of the gas — a stark contrast to the previous year, which saw zero such cases, according to the DA’s office.

“It’s important that we curb this trend before it gets worse,” said DA Stephan. “We’re currently prosecuting three cases that include evidence of DUI drivers believed to have done ‘whippets’ before the separate crashes that killed or seriously injured their passengers or other drivers."

Between October 2024 and Septemb

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