Paris (AFP)

The best ally of aerial whipped cream, nitrous oxide, gas used in kitchen siphons, is increasingly diverted from its culinary use by young people, for its euphoric effects, to the point that senators want to legislate.

A bill proposed by the centrist Senator Valérie Létard and seven other senators from the North, a department particularly affected by this practice in sharp increase, is on the agenda of the Senate Wednesday.

It will be examined in a "niche" of the centrist Union group, but it has been co-signed by a hundred elected representatives of all kinds.

"We are at the beginning of a phenomenon that is likely to spread," said AFP Mrs. Létard, who advocates for the establishment of "a legislative arsenal to limit drifts, even if we know that this is not perfect "

Very easily accessible commercially, the I69GN, or "proto", sells in the form of cartridges siphon whipped cream. It is also used in hospital for its anesthetic and painkiller properties, where it is known as laughing gas.

In its diverted use, the gas contained in the cartridges is dumped into a balloon and some inspirations cause irrepressible giggles.

15 days ago, the French health authorities were alarmed by an "increase in cases of serious neurological disorders" related to a "recreational" use of laughing gas.

Since the beginning of the year, "25 reports of severe health effects" have been recorded, including 10 "serious cases with sequelae for some", such as paralysis of limbs to varying degrees. Eight of these serious cases were recorded in the Hauts-de-France.

In Britain, where the phenomenon is older, "more than 30 deaths have been recorded since 2001," says Létard.

For the president of the interdepartmental Mission to fight against drugs and addiction (Mildeca), Nicolas Prisse, "it is urgent to de-centralize this use which, for the last two years, has affected more and more young people who are not aware of risks incurred ".

- "No reason to laugh" -

"We must finish with the concept of laughing gas, because its effects on health have no reason to laugh", also underlines the rapporteur of the text, Jocelyne Guidez (centrist).

The flagship measure is the ban on the sale of this gas to minors, including on e-commerce sites. Manufacturers should also indicate on the packaging the dangerousness of the product.

The bill passed in committee also penalizes the incentive for a minor to misuse a consumer product for psychoactive effects.

Today cartridges are sold without any restriction in supermarkets or on the internet. An online sales site offers on the same page the appropriate accessories: balloons or even a bottle of laughing gas for "faster swelling balloons" that are "offered".

The alert was given by the Association of North Mayors, says Valérie Létard. The "first signal" was the growing number of empty metal capsules found on public roads. In Loos, a commune bordering Lille, 100 kg of these cartridges are collected each month.

The French Office for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT) has identified a festive use, especially in "student parties". But elected officials also point to consumption among young teens, high school students or even college students. Hence the fear that laughing gas is "a gateway to addictive consumption".

Among the immediate risks incurred, health authorities cite cold burns due to gas expulsion, unconsciousness, asphyxia due to lack of oxygen, etc. Regular or high-dose use can lead to "damage to the spinal cord. , vitamin B12 deficiency, anemia, psychic disorders ".

© 2019 AFP