HANOI, Vietnam (VNExpress): A 30-year-old man in Vietnam suffered seizures and lost consciousness for three days after inhaling laughing gas, doctors said, in a case that highlights ongoing abuse of the substance more than a year after the country banned it.
Dao Thi Huong, deputy head of the Emergency Department at Thai Nguyen Central Hospital, said on Saturday that the man was treated on arrival with protocols to stabilise his breathing and stop his seizures.
Doctors conducted tests and advanced imaging to determine the cause, and after a consultation identified acute poisoning as the most likely explanation.
Two days after treatment began, the patient improved significantly, regaining consciousness and the ability to walk. He then disclosed that he had been using laughing gas but could not recall how much he had consumed.
Laughing gas is the street name for nitrous oxide (N2O), a colorless compound with a faintly sweet smell commonly sold in balloons for recreational inhalation.
The gas produces a brief euphoric high by acting on the nervous system, but abuse carries serious medical risks including seizures, impaired consciousness, numbness, muscle weakness and even paralysis. Chronic use can also impair vitamin B12 metabolism, causing potentially irreversible nerve damage.
Vietnam banned the production, sale and use of laughing gas, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and shisha on Jan. 1, 2025, under a National Assembly resolution. Violators face administrative fines or criminal prosecution depending on the severity of the offense.
Despite the ban, cases of nitrous oxide abuse continue to surface. Last year, a South Korean tourist was hospitalized in Ho Chi Minh City after losing consciousness from inhaling the gas, with doctors diagnosing acute poisoning and signs of potential kidney failure.
The Ministry of Health has noted that nitrous oxide has controlled legitimate applications in medicine, the food industry and manufacturing. When misused recreationally, however, the gas can cause lasting damage to the nervous system, cardiovascular system and mental health. -- VNExpress
