247% increase in health complications among young people: nitrous oxide is an out-of-control scourge in the Paca region

"I don't smoke, so breathing in something chemical doesn't appeal to me," says a disgusted 17-year-old Tom. Beside him, under his bucket hat in the shade of a street in the old town of Antibes, is his friend, who prefers to be called Jo: "I've already tried it. There are some people who are addicted to it, who do nothing else..." He is 19. He would therefore be one of the 14%* of 18-24 year-olds who have already tried inhaling nitrous oxide.

Diverted from its original use —serving as a propellant in culinary siphons—N2O is injected into balloons, then inhaled. The effect is very short—2 or 3 minutes—hilarity, loss of senses, loss of bearings, and even hallucinatory effects. Except that the said laughing gas is very poorly named.

The dangers are considerable : asphyxia, neurological complications, cardiovascular disorders, loss of consciousness... A scourge.

In 2019, the French Association of Addiction Monitoring Centers already expressed its concern about the increase in serious health complications linked to this practice.

But the alarm was sounded in June 2022 when these figures exploded . In our region, a 247% increase in complications was reported. Boom: the balloon bursts. And it's dizzying.

"They talk to us about it, they are 11, 12, 13 years old..."

"It's been two or three years that this has been blowing up in our faces," says Quentin Maton, president of the association "G-Addiction Jeunesse citoyenne," which raises awareness among middle school students on the Côte d'Azur. "Our mobile teams, who go out to meet young people every week, in the bars and restaurants of Cours Saleya and the port of Saint-Laurent-du-Var, or on the beaches of La Croisette, are finding capsules and canisters."

The tip of the iceberg. "A few years ago, this practice was mostly common among students. But today, the audience has gotten younger. When we speak at middle schools, it's the students themselves who talk to us about it! They're 11, 12, 13 years old..."

The image of the "balloon," falsely fun and without consequences, would play in favor of its democratization: "It's a bit like the puff [single-use electronic cigarette, Editor's note] : we make the thing attractive and harmless, with flavors, as if it were chewing gum..." But "it's not expensive and easier to get hold of than drugs, despite the legislation."

If, today, the 2021 law prohibits its sale to minors** and condemns its sale to adults in bars, nightclubs, temporary drinking establishments and tobacconists***, you only have to go on social networks to understand how much the substance is circulating.

Gone are the days of traditional whipped cream siphons: nitrous oxide now comes in the form of blue canisters containing the equivalent of 80 to 100 cartridges, which are flooding the market from the Netherlands . There's even a fruity-flavored range: pineapple, coconut, blueberry, etc.

Available for sale online, in Snapchat, and in "some stores..."

The teenagers film themselves, balloons inflated from the bottle, laughing. Dressed-up young girls dance and pout, praising this practice. A young man, on the Croisette, romanticizes it as the sun sets...

Ads provided by consumers themselves, without any filtering. There's no reason why you shouldn't believe—especially when you're very young—that there's nothing wrong with ordering cans online or via Snapchat .

Everything is indicated: delivery times (often in the evening and at night), prices and area. "20 euros per bottle, 60 euros for the maximum," suggests a reseller in Toulon.

A "blind spot" for traffic offenses

"Some stores open late sell them. But it's not posted, you have to know, ask, and they'll pull it out from the back," says a 19-year-old, who adds, embarrassed: "I don't want to say where, but you can easily find them in the big cities on the Côte d'Azur. "

Accessibility that makes Senator (LR) for Alpes-Maritimes Alexandra Borchio-Fontimp grind her teeth: " From the moment a product is diverted, its distribution must be regulated as much as possible."

Refusing to trivialize this phenomenon, she notably spoke out during the examination of the text creating the offense of road homicide: " We must punish, even if there is no accident, driving under the influence of nitrous oxide." A time bomb on our roads.

This is evidenced by the sudden disappearance of Jérémie Boulon , a firefighter killed in June 2024 in Nice by a 19-year-old driver who had consumed it.

More recently, and even if the link with the accident could not be established, several bottles were found in the car which hit two nurses, killed on the A8 in Mandelieu .

"When you combine alcohol with drugs, you increase the risk of an accident by 29," says Quentin Maton . "So when you combine other substances like "proto," it's an explosive cocktail, it increases the risks tenfold!"

Except, here's the thing: at this time of day, N2O intake is completely beyond the reach of roadside checks. And for good reason: this odorless, colorless gas is not detectable. "It's a kind of blind spot," observes the senator.

A law to criminalize consumption

To address this, the mayors of the municipalities are issuing decrees - which are in addition to the one issued by the prefect in October 2020, which notably prohibits consumption on public roads.

In Antibes , Jean Leonetti is preparing to do so: "Anyone in possession of nitrous oxide may be subject to punishment."

In Mandelieu , this is already the case. The municipal police issue fines on public roads, says Pierre Boutillon, the town's director of public safety, who also carries out prevention operations: 52 tickets have been issued since 2024, including 17 in 2025.

In Cannes , the municipal police have issued 131 fines this year for consuming nitrous oxide on public roads. Mayor David Lisnard welcomes this measure, while criticizing the government's lack of action on the issue.

In Nice , health inspections of establishments have led to "105 withdrawals of goods made in 2025 from night grocery stores." For Christian Estrosi, a "stricter framework" is necessary.

A bill**** was presented and passed to this effect in the Senate on March 6. It criminalizes the misuse of nitrous oxide, establishes the principle of sales subject to administrative authorization, and requires manufacturers to display a warning message. The text is pending inclusion on the agenda of the National Assembly.

*Source: Public Health Barometer France, 2022. **In shops, public places and on the internet, punishable by a fine of 15,000 euros. ***Fine of 3,750 euros.

****By Ahmed Laouedj, RDSE senator for Seine-Saint-Denis.