Thanh Hoa Provincial Police have successfully dismantled a large-scale, inter-provincial-based ring specializing in the illegal production and trading of laughing gas (N2O), consuming more than 65 tons of laughing gas in just a few months. This is not only a great feat in preventing economic crimes but also a wake-up call about the dangers of abusing this toxic gas in life, especially among young people.
N2O air, also known as laughing gas, is legally used in medicine with very small doses, controlled, and has a powerful anesthetic and pain relief effect. However, according to experts, when abused to create an immediate feeling of refreshment, N2O gas becomes a strong stimulant, seriously affecting the central nervous system, cardiovascular system and respiratory system if used for a long time.
The laughing atmosphere is currently disguised as a "laughing game" in bars, karaoke bars, even birthday parties, and entertainment areas. Users are often teenagers, students, and students who are caught up in the trend of "new entertainment" without fully anticipating the consequences.
According to community health experts, laughing gas has an immediate impact that makes users feel excited and laugh for no reason, but it leads to a series of very serious physiological and psychological consequences: Peripheral neuropathy disorder, causing users to feel numbness in the limbs and wheezing while moving. memory loss, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, emotional disorders.
Smiley air is also at risk of permanent brain damage if inhaled repeatedly or at high levels. Causes lack of brain oxygen, even sudden death in cases of acute respiratory failure.
Creating psychological dependence can easily lead to dangerous behavior when combining other substances such as alcohol, marijuana, synthetic drugs.
The subjects who trade and produce laughing gas often disguise themselves as industrial gas trading companies or transport by conventional goods to deceive the authorities.
According to Thanh Hoa Police, the subjects in the laughing gas production ring that has just been dismantled confessed to transporting N2O gas from unlicensed suppliers to Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong... Then, they distributed it to retail agents for consumption in bars, pubs, birthday parties or ship it upon request via social networks. The "huge" profit from this banned gas is up to billions of VND.
Faced with the increasing speed of laughing gas abuse, many experts and health agencies suggest that N2O should be added to the special management list, making it a addictive substance that needs to be controlled.
At the same time, the education sector and organizations need to step up propaganda to make young people understand the harmful effects of laughing gas. "Happy games" such as laughing gas, meteorite, etc. not only make you laugh for a few minutes but can take away your entire alertness - if not controlled in time.
