France's eastern Jura region has banned the possession and consumption of nitrous oxide in public spaces for three and a half months, targeting young people's recreational use of the so-called "laughing gas" after recent fatal accidents.
The ban, which runs from 12 December to 31 March, prohibits consuming the gas in public areas, carrying or transporting it by minors and abandoning cartridges or canisters in public spaces across the department.
Nitrous oxide is used legitimately in medicine and cooking but has become popular among young people for its euphoric effects. One dangerous side effect is loss of control.
“We must not wait for a tragedy to strike Jura before taking action,” the prefect said – adding the aim is to limit misuse, especially among young people.
Public radio France Bleu said a similar order was adopted months earlier in the department of Doubs.
France considers restrictions on laughing gas sales to combat recreational use
Fatal crash
The move follows a deadly crash on last Wednesday in Alès in southern France, where three young people were killed after their car missed a bend, hit the wall of a house with a swimming pool, overturned and landed in the water.
A 19-year-old driver and two teenagers aged 14 and 15 drowned.
“Those in the front were positive for nitrous oxide, with a relatively high level for the 19-year-old and a lower level for the 14-year-old,” Alès prosecutor Abdelkrim Grini told the French news agency AFP after receiving final toxicology results.
“This confirms our first impressions, since canisters of nitrous oxide had been found in the car,” he said.
Grini said the 19-year-old was also positive for cannabis and a blood alhocol reading of 0.7. He said the crash followed the start of a short chase. Police had briefly tried to stop the three about an hour earlier as they took part in what he called “rodeos”.
French news agency AFP reported that in early November in Lille a 19-year-old man was killed by a driver fleeing police who had consumed nitrous oxide.
No laughing matter: France moves to tackle recreational use of nitrous oxide
Health concerns
Health authorities warn the practice exposes users to immediate risks including suffocation, loss of consciousness, disorientation and dizziness. Regular use or high doses can damage the spinal cord or lead to anaemia or mental health problems.
In Jura, the prefecture said a nine-year-old child was hit and seriously injured in February 2023 by a driver who admitted he had been under the influence of nitrous oxide. The child was incapacitated for 45 days.
France's anti-drug office, OFAST, said cartridges cost €20 to €30 euros for 80 balloons of gas and that marketing has become more attractive, with colourful packaging, fruity flavours and rapid delivery through social media.
The Jura prefecture warned that an organised trade has developed, structured around import and distribution networks, adding that young people from secondary school to university are the main targets.
(with newswires)
