On 12/1, Doctor Le Thi Phuong Thao, from the Substance Use and Behavioral Medicine Unit at the National Institute of Mental Health - Bach Mai Hospital, reported that a patient entered the examination room with a large, heavy handbag, from which she pulled out an N2O gas tank.
The young woman explained that she could not withstand sudden cravings for N2O gas, necessitating carrying the tank with her. When a craving struck, she inhaled N2O gas directly, no longer using balloons. Because she used an oversized handbag, her mother, who accompanied her, did not detect the hidden gas tank. This method also allowed the girl to conceal her N2O use from her parents at home for a long time.
She shared that she began inhaling laughing gas (balloons filled with N2O gas) in middle school, introduced by friends. In high school, she frequently purchased and inhaled laughing gas at home, using money from her part-time job and funds provided by her parents for school.
Initially, she inhaled 20-30 laughing gas balloons daily. As her addiction worsened, she stopped using balloons and instead purchased N2O gas directly for inhalation, progressing from one mini-tank per day to two. She chose small gas tanks for ease of concealment and transport home.
Her parents discovered her N2O use after accidentally finding a strange gas tank in her room and observing unusual mental symptoms in their daughter. By the time she was admitted to the hospital, the young woman had been using laughing gas for 6-7 years and had begun exhibiting symptoms such as limb numbness, depression, and anxiety.
According to Doctor Thao, laughing gas, also known as "funky ball", is a balloon filled with N2O gas. This substance belongs to the sedative-hallucinogenic group, directly impacting the brain, spinal cord, and other organs.
"It makes users laugh for a few minutes but the health damage and neurological sequelae can last a lifetime", Doctor Thao stated. Prolonged and heavy use of laughing gas can lead to brain damage, limb numbness and weakness, irreversible spinal cord damage, memory loss, sluggishness, and poor concentration.
Laughing gas users may experience paralysis requiring a wheelchair and lifelong memory impairment. Abuse can cause sudden cardiac arrest or acute asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen, leading to death. It can also result in visceral congestion and acute pulmonary edema.
In Vietnam, N2O laughing gas use has significantly increased since 2018, primarily among adolescents, students, and patrons of bars and clubs. According to the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health, laughing gas was the most used "substance" in urban areas during 2022-2023.
Studies conducted in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in 2023 revealed that approximately 8-15% of youth had tried laughing gas, with 3-5% using it regularly. Common complications of laughing gas addiction include neuropathy due to vitamin B12 deficiency, limb numbness or weakness, acute psychosis, poisoning, fainting, and accidents.
This gas is typically used under controlled conditions in medicine (anesthesia, pain relief, sedation) and industry (solar cell production, engine power enhancement), adhering to the standards of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (International Food Standards Commission). When misused, N2O can cause a range of serious physical and mental health consequences.
Due to these harmful consequences, laughing gas, shisha, and e-cigarettes will be prohibited in Vietnam starting 1/1/2025. Users and traders of these products will face administrative or criminal penalties, depending on the severity of the violation.
Le Nga
