It has become a drug, even an addiction. An alert on the misuse of laughing gas has been launched.
- The desired effects are uncontrolled laughter, the feeling of inebriation and visual and auditory distortions.
- Since June 1, 2021, a law prohibits the offering or sale of nitrous oxide to any minor.
- The interruption of consumption causes a withdrawal syndrome, with anxiety, agitation and tremors.
In recent years, laughing gas has been popular among young people. Initially, nitrous oxide was used in medicine as an anesthetic and analgesic, and in cooking, where it was present in whipped cream dispenser cartridges. But it is now prized for the euphoric effects it produces when inhaled. This consumption is not without risk, recalls the French Association of Addictovigilance Centers in a communicated published on June 23.
Cases multiplied by 10 in three years
“The number of cases assessed by the addictovigilance network has multiplied by 10 since 2019 and the number of serious cases is also increasing”, notes the Association. About 500 reports related to laughing gas were recorded in 2021.”We observe an evolution of the desired effects: from euphoria to anxiety and high“, specifies the press release. The average age of users is 22 years old, but one in ten cases concerns a minor.
serious consequences
Inhaling this gas presents immediate risks, as recalled ANSES : “asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen, loss of consciousness, burning by the cold of the gas expelled from the cartridge, risk of taking the wrong route, disorientation, dizziness and risk of falling.“Serious or even fatal road accidents are also one of the consequences of this consumption. The French Association of Addictovigilance Centers also warns of serious cases.”The number of cases of damage diagnosed as central (spinal) or peripheral (neuropathy) tripled between 2020 and 2021.“
For the people concerned, the occurrence of sensory and motor disorders, such as loss of walking, sensitivity or incontinence sometimes requires long and difficult rehabilitation. “In addition, new serious complications, particularly cardiovascular, are observed with several cases of thrombotic effects reported (acute coronary syndrome, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis) often favored by hyperhomocysteinemia secondary to a vitamin B12 disorder induced by protoxide. nitrogen“, completes the association. Laughing gas causes a deficiency in vitamin B12, essential for the nervous system. When hyperhomocysteinemia, it corresponds to an excessively high level of homocysteine (an amino acid) in the blood, and increases the risk of fracture, cardiovascular and neurological diseases.
An evolution of uses
Faced with the seriousness of the risks, the French Association of Addictovigilance Centers insists on the need to raise awareness among young people. The data collected show an intensification of the use of laughing gas: siphon cartridges are abandoned in favor of carboys and bottles, “which represent several dozen or even several hundred cartridges“. In almost half of the cases reported in addictovigilance centers, consumption is daily. For some young people, it even reaches “several dozen bottles per day“. Now the University Hospital of Lyon recalls that the minimum amount causing symptoms remains unknown.
