The Ordre des chimistes du Québec is warning the public about the risks of nitrous oxide (N2O), known as “laughing gas” and used as a drug, particularly among young people.
Nitrous oxide is mainly used in the market to make whipped cream in the kitchen or as a sedative in certain medical procedures, especially in dentistry.
Because it is readily available, some people use this gas by inhalation as a euphoric drug, as it causes intoxication, uncontrolled laughter, intoxication, and hearing or vision problems.
“The rise in the misuse of this gas as an inhalation drug elsewhere in the world, particularly among young people, and the deaths that have been associated with it, are a cause of real concern,” the Ordre des chimistes du Québec lamented Thursday, in a bid to engage in prevention with the public if the season of festivals and large gatherings begins.
“The illicit consumption of this gas can quickly lead to disillusionment, because there is a risk of suffocation when breathing in large amounts of gas while holding your breath.” In the end, we quickly run out of oxygen. Nitrous oxide can also cause various short- and long-term adverse health effects. Not to mention the risk of injury if you fall from dizziness. It is certainly not a harmless chemical substance to be taken lightly,” said the Order’s President, Michel Alsayegh, in a press release.
Keep in mind that various jurisdictions such as France and Denmark have enacted laws to prevent the dangerous use of nitrous oxide, particularly by minors. “However, in Canada, this gas is still freely available and also easily accessible on the internet.”