Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin wants to ban the use of nitrous oxide cartridges, more commonly known as “proto” or “laughing gas”. More and more young people use it as a drug.
- The Minister of the Interior wishes to prohibit the use of nitrous oxide cartridges.
- More and more young people are using nitrous oxide as a drug.
- Inhalation of nitrous oxide causes fits of laughter, euphoria comparable to drunkenness, visual and auditory distortions, a feeling of dissociation, a floating state and disinhibition.
“I have asked my administration to propose provisions to me to purely and simply prohibit the use of nitrous oxide cartridges or capsules.” In an interview with Le Parisien, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin tackles nitrous oxide, an easily accessible drug that is causing more and more damage among young people. “I am a local elected official, I know that this causes nuisance and that it rots the daily life of many French people”, he adds about laughing gas. More generally, he believes that: “Drugs are shit, they kill the lives of thousands of people and it can affect all families in France”.
Hilarious effect
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as “proto” Where “laughing gas”, is a gas used in the medical field for its analgesic action, and marketed as a propellant gas in whipped cream dispenser cartridges or dry air aerosols. Those who use it as a drug seek its hilarious effect. “The intensity of the effects varies according to each person, the context in which they consume, the quantity and the quality of the product”, specifies the drug-info-service site. Inhalation of nitrous oxide also causes euphoria comparable to drunkenness, visual and auditory distortions, a feeling of dissociation, a floating state and disinhibition. The inhalation also modifies the voice, which becomes particularly deep for a few seconds. The effects are almost instantaneous and disappear in two to three minutes.
An increase in the number of laughing gas poisonings, especially among young people, has been recorded in recent years. It caused 66 serious poisonings between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2019, according to a recent report by ANSES.
Cardio-respiratory arrest and coma
“Most of them were young men, between the ages of 20 and 25. The Hauts-de-France, Île-de-France and Occitanie regions are the most affected by these poisonings”, worries the health security agency. The type of nitrous oxide consumed came from cartridges for food use, available over the counter and inhaled via balloons. While some claim to have taken only a few cartridges in one evening (often with alcohol or drugs), others may inhale hundreds a day for several months.
Of the 66 cases, 42 reported at least one neurological or neuromuscular symptom of concern such as paresthesias*, tremors in the extremities or muscle pain. Cardio-respiratory arrest and coma have also been reported, as well as seizures and myoclonus (involuntary rapid muscle contractions).
Tighten cartridge regulations
“In recent years, an increase in the number of poisonings, especially among young people, has been recorded”, summarizes ANSES in its report. “Before this practice develops even further, the Agency recommends strengthening the regulation of cartridges for whipped cream siphons and improving the information of the youngest and professionals on the neurological risks that its use can cause”, concludes the agency.
In the same dynamic as ANSES, a bill from the Senate prohibits the sale of nitrous oxide to minors, including on the Internet. The text recommends providing information on the risks of this misuse of nitrous oxide in schools. “A statement indicating the danger of nitrous oxide should also be affixed to each container including this product, which cannot be sold without”, believe elected officials.
*Paresthesia is a disorder of the sense of touch, bringing together several symptoms, the particularity of which is to be unpleasant but not painful: tingling, tingling, numbness, etc.
