Hallucinogenic Drug-Like Substances Spreading Locally
Abuse May Cause Coma or Death
Trend Expanding from Southeast Asia to Europe
In Vietnam, a teenage girl was hospitalized with spinal cord damage after using so-called 'Happy Balloons,' which cause hallucinations, for 10 consecutive days.
According to local media VN Express on the 18th, a 15-year-old girl living in Quang Ninh Province in the north recently used 10 Happy Balloons a day for 10 consecutive days, experiencing symptoms such as paralysis and extreme fatigue, and was taken to the hospital.
Hospital tests confirmed that the girl had spinal cord damage. She is currently reported to be receiving treatments such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
The Laugh-Inducing Drug-Like 'Happy Balloon'... Designated as a Hallucinogen in Korea
Happy Balloons are balloons filled with nitrous oxide, which, when inhaled, cause hallucinations and are considered a 'drug-like substance.' Inhaling the nitrous oxide inside the balloon momentarily causes the mind to go blank and uncontrollable laughter, because nitrous oxide dissolves into the blood and lowers the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in the blood. Inhalers perceive the brain's signal of oxygen deficiency as a 'pleasant state.'
Nitrous oxide is used for medical and food additive purposes, but because inhalation causes temporary hallucinations such as floating sensations, it has been designated as a hallucinogenic substance in Korea since August 2017.
Especially, abuse of nitrous oxide can cause nerve and spinal cord damage and poisoning, leading to coma or death. Accordingly, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health also banned the use of nitrous oxide for recreational purposes in 2019.
However, despite the authorities' ban, many people in Vietnam still inhale Happy Balloons. In February, Vietnamese police raided a famous club in Ho Chi Minh City and caught about 400 people using Happy Balloons and water pipes.
Cases of 'Happy Balloon' Addiction Increasing in Europe Following Southeast Asia
Happy Balloons were mainly distributed in Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam, but recently their use has expanded to Europe.
According to a 2023 research report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), the number of young people inhaling nitrous oxide, known as 'laughing gas,' for recreational purposes has increased in Europe, leading to more cases of addiction.
In the UK, nitrous oxide has become the second most commonly used addictive substance among young people aged 16 to 24, following cannabis, and in Denmark, cases of nitrous oxide addiction increased from 16 in 2015 to 73 in 2021. In the Netherlands, it is reported that there were 144 accidents caused by driving under the influence of nitrous oxide in 2020.
The EMCDDA has proposed measures such as reducing the size of nitrous oxide containers sold or banning sales to minors under 18 years old.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
