Laughing gas claims another victim in England. After the party, Ally Calvert passed out halfway on his way home after a cardiac arrest around 11:15 p.m. His friends immediately called an ambulance which brought him to the hospital. He died two hours later. Where he passed out, police found boxes containing laughing gas inhaled from a balloon.
Police told Britain’s Daily Mirror that they believe the teenager “ingested nitrous oxide and alcohol” during the evening. We are still awaiting the results of the autopsy to confirm the reason for his death.
In the UK, between 2006 and 2012, 17 people died from inhaling nitrous oxide. This gas is found in particular in refills for whipped cream siphon.
Why its inhalation is dangerous
The health dangers caused by inhaling nitrous oxide are numerous: it replaces oxygen in the body, and by inhaling it regularly you can develop a vitamin B deficiency. Its inhalation could also cause side effects such as breathing problems or fainting. Worse, in rare cases, it can lead to death, as the worrying figures from across the Channel illustrate. “An isolated intake (of nitrogen protoxide) is a priori not serious, but everything depends on the state of health of the user”, relativized Dr. Laurent Karila, the psychiatrist specializing in addictions at Top Health. However, there is no such thing as zero risk and a single use can be accompanied by undesirable effects depending on who inhales it.
The purchase of nitrous oxide remains legal in both the UK and France.
Read also:
https://www.topsante.com/medecine/addictions/drogue/vivre-avec/le-gaz-hilarant-la-nouvelle-drogue-qui-fait- rire-jaune-les-parents-245019
https://www.topsante.com/medecine/addictions/drogue/gaz-hilarant-le-risque-zero-n-existe-pas-245051