Increasing use of “laughing gas”

Increasing use of “laughing gas” - Laughing gas is reportedly becoming more and more popular amongst party goers in the region. Nitrous oxide a legal drug which can be purchased over the counter in its misused drug form is nick named “laughing gas”.

A few inhalations with a balloon cause brief euphoria and momentary laughter. This misuse of the "laughing gas" is not new it appeared in the 1990s and was referred to as the "poor man's drug". What is new, however, is that its use has crossed city boundaries and has spread widely, especially in festive circles. So much so that the public authorities are getting involved.

The French government in November warned that: "The misuse of nitrous oxide was not new, but the number and severity of adverse reactions related to using it have tended to increase since 2018."