2023-06-22 17:18:52
The Ordre des chimistes du Québec warns 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 during certain medical procedures, especially in dentistry.
Because it is easily accessible, some people consume this gas by inhalation as an euphoric drug, because it causes a feeling of intoxication, uncontrolled laughter, a feeling of inebriation and auditory or visual distortions.
“The upsurge in the misuse of this gas as an inhalant drug elsewhere in the world, particularly among young people, and the deaths associated with it, raises real concerns,” lamented the Ordre des chimistes du Québec on Thursday. in order to do prevention with the public as the season of festivals and large gatherings begins.
“Illicit consumption of this gas can quickly make you disillusioned, because it is possible to asphyxiate yourself when a large quantity of gas is inhaled while holding your breath. So we end up quickly running out of oxygen. Nitrous oxide can also have several short- and long-term adverse health effects. Not to mention the risk of injury in the event of a fall caused by dizziness. It is certainly not an innocuous chemical substance to be taken lightly,” explained the president of the Order, Michel Alsayegh, in a press release.
Remember that different jurisdictions, such as France and Denmark, have legislated to prevent the dangerous use of nitrous oxide, especially among minors. “In Canada, however, this gas remains freely available, in addition to being easily accessible on the Internet.”
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