Lyon declares war on laughing gas and bans its consumption on public roads

The mayor of Lyon, Grégory Doucet, declares war on nitrous oxide, consumed as a narcotic product. According to the daily Progress, the Lyon metropolis is invaded by these little blue canisters, or “proto” cartridges which litter the gutters, sidewalks, parking lots… Monday, November 25, the mayor of the City therefore signed an order prohibiting the sale, detention and use of nitrous oxide cartridges – to be used as laughing gas – in public spaces and in private car parks open to traffic.

This decision makes it possible to punish the offense with a fine, while nitrous oxide is not classified as a narcotic product.

20 tonnes of laughing gas bottles collected in the Lyon Metropolis in 2023

Initially used in the medical field for its anesthetic and analgesic properties, laughing gas is also found

in small gas cartridges intended for making whipped cream, or in larger quantities in the famous blue canisters, sold on the internet or in local shops.

But the “proto” is most often diverted for recreational use, mainly by middle and high school students who do not hesitate to inhale the contents of the cartridges via balloons, for only a few minutes of euphoric effects. Not without health risks.

More than 20 tonnes of laughing gas bottles were collected in the Lyon metropolitan area in 2023, writes Progress. This decree should make it possible to “preserve public health, safety and tranquility“.

The French observatory of drugs and addictive tendencies estimates that the use of laughing gas has been diverted for recreational purposes since the 2000s, with a resurgence for several years. Not without health risks. In 2022, an increase in serious clinical cases was recorded in France, with 81 victims.