Lille University Hospital is mobilizing to combat the consumption of nitrous oxide. A group of doctors has been working on this phenomenon since May 2021. This over-the-counter gas is inhaled by young people for its euphoric effects. But the consequences can be serious. Nitrous oxide is not a harmless product. The University Hospital of Lille warns young people who inhale this gas, contained in silver capsules or colored canisters, which is usually used in the kitchen for whipped cream syphons. It's all the rage, as it induces a few minutes of euphoria and makes you "float". But this so-called laughing gas is no joke. In the spring of 2021, a group of around twenty doctors from different specialties will be working together at the CHU. Its role: to provide better care for patients arriving with spinal cord injuries, and to advance research into this recent phenomenon. The number of serious cases treated at Lille University Hospital has risen from 15 in 2019 to around 50 today. Tingling, balance problems, even paralysis. Guillaume Grzych, a metabolic biochemist at Lille University Hospital, is keen to point out the reality: "In the collective imagination, we have the impression that it's very harmless, and that it's just a way of partying. But unfortunately, there are clinical consequences, even for patients who consume very little: loss of balance leading to paralysis. These disorders can sometimes be irreversible, and we've had young people end up in wheelchairs".
At Lille University Hospital, three to four serious cases are reported every week. Recently, doctors have noted a new possible consequence of protoxide consumption: thrombosis, potentially fatal blood clots in the body.
Sylvie Deheul, an addictologist, is part of this group of doctors. She also observes addiction mechanisms, just as with narcotics. "You have to be wary of this product", she assures us, "there are effects that set in, and that we don't see right away, whether it's neurological damage, or addiction, with people in difficulty in relation to this consumption. We're sounding the alarm because we're seeing more and more complications.
Vegan nitrous oxide - The problem is that nitrous oxide is sold over the counter, with the exception of sales to minors, which have been banned by recent legislation. Some companies are developing this lucrative market on the Internet, selling cylinders weighing up to four kilos, with marketing aimed particularly at young people. The labels even bear the words "vegan" or "halal". Sometimes with promotional operations like Black Friday. Drugs on sale. The question of whether nitrous oxide should be classified as a narcotic is clearly being asked today.
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