Rise in nitrous oxide abuse leaves young users paralysed and burdens public health
Two young men, Salim and Enzo, suffered paralysis after inhaling recreational nitrous oxide, highlighting a growing health crisis among French youths.
Investigative reporting reveals that Salim, a 20-year-old bus driver from Vitry-sur-Seine, was left with a weakened left leg after inhaling nitrous oxide at a party, a fate he shares with Enzo, another young man. Their cases illustrate a broader trend: serious health complications linked to the recreational use of the gas have multiplied by 3.8 times from 2020 to 2023, per a Santé Publique France report. The French health minister, Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, has warned that nitrous oxide contributes to a recent rise in road-traffic deaths across the country.
Unlike other illicit substances, the gas is inexpensive, rarely mixed with other drugs, and is popular among both genders, often attracting youths who drink little or not at all. The article underscores the societal cost of treating these injuries, which falls on the public health system, and calls attention to the apparent regulatory gap surrounding this legal product.
Why it matters
Nitrous oxide abuse is causing severe injuries among young people, straining health services and raising safety concerns on French roads.
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