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No laughing matter
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Misuse of laughing gas is increasing, as shown by the rising number of poisoning cases in recent years. In particular, adolescents consume it at parties, inhaling it from balloons.
The colourless, sweet greenhouse gas creates brief euphoria and reduces tension or anxiety. Cartridges or cylinders containing laughing gas can be purchased online, in convenience stores (“Spätis”) or from vending machines for just a few euros, under the pretense of being “for whipping cream”. Thus, the availability gives the impression that it is harmless, according to the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment.
However, laughing gas poses serious health risks: Depending on the dose, it can lead to nausea, headaches, impaired consciousness and cardiovascular dysfunction, epileptic seizures and strokes, and even death by suffocation. Irreversible neurological damage has been observed after excessive use.
