A cautionary tale about a young Chinese girl and laughing gas has gone viral, and it's anything but a laughing matter.

Overseas student Lin Na's recent return to China from Seattle caught widespread attention among Chinese netizens and students studying in the US.

She posted her personal story on a WeChat public platform called "JK Chicken Soup", and it garnered more than 100,000 clicks within 24 hours.

Lin said she started to try the "legal and funny gas", which is also known as Hippy crack, laughing gas, sweet air and, to the scientific community, as nitrous oxide (N2O).

It's also used in internal combustion engines, as an aerosol propellant and an analgesic for dental surgery.

Its effect is to get you euphoric and "high", which is what happened with Lin.

The recreational use of nitrous oxide dates back to 1799, when the British upper class would throw "laughing gas parties".

The gas grew in popularity in the 1970s across North America and remains popular with users worldwide, including some Chinese students studying abroad in the US.

The euphoric "high" Lin had never experienced before soon led to a nightmarish addiction. After days of heavy abuse, she began to suffer from insomnia and an increased heart rate, according to her post.

As the addiction completely enslaved her, she became suspicious and paranoid. She was afraid of being hit by cars or getting eaten up by her dog or poisoned to death by drinking water.

Physical indications of her decaying health appeared: red patches on her body and the skin on her hands began peeling, but she paid no attention.

Worried friends persuaded her to go outdoors for a while, but it wasn't long before she fell to the ground and realized she could no longer walk.

A visiting friend panicked seeing the dump-ike condition of her bedroom and called for help. She was taken away by an ambulance, her clothes soiled with feces and urine.

Lin finally made it home to China in a wheelchair, met by her heartbroken parents at the airport.

"Lin is typical among Chinese students who come to study in the US at a very young age but without the company and supervision of their parents," said Ron Chow, a representative of the Chinese consulate in San Francisco.

"They feel lonely and empty, especially when they struggle to fit in to the study and life in the US. I would not recommend parents continue to send their kids to the US if they cannot spend time with them," Chow said. "Some are still too young to handle the difficulties and risks."

Nitrous oxide is the second-most popular recreational drug after cannabis among partygoers. It is sold in small cartridges intended for use in making whipped cream and widely available on the internet, as well as on the street.

Heavy, regular use of the drug can cause a deficiency of vitamin B12 and a form of anemia. Severe Vitamin B deficiency can cause serious nerve damage. In extreme cases like Lin's, addicts can lose the ability to walk.

lindadeng@chinadailyusa.com