The Munich Poison Control Center, responsible for Bavaria, has already registered seven cases of nitrous oxide poisoning this year. This information was provided by internist Katrin Romanek from Munich’s Klinikum Rechts der Isar.
Nitrous Oxide Poisonings in Munich: Cases Have Doubled
Last year, the Poison Control Center recorded twelve cases, while in 2023 there were six. The Munich Poison Control Center receives approximately 45,000 inquiries annually from emergency doctors, rescue services, hospitals, and the general public. About half of the calls originate from Bavaria.
The dangers of nitrous oxide use were recently demonstrated in Munich: during the first weekend of November, three people sustained serious injuries from nitrous oxide. The two partygoers, aged 21 and 25, and a 29-year-old woman were already unconscious when rescue services arrived and had to be hospitalized. Police found more than 100 nitrous oxide canisters at the party, which were allegedly distributed to guests for consumption.
Nitrous Oxide Use: From Hallucinations to Brain Damage
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment warns that inhaling nitrous oxide can cause hallucinations and euphoria. In severe cases, individuals can lose consciousness and sustain brain damage.
The federal government has initiated legislation aimed at prohibiting the acquisition and possession of nitrous oxide by minors. Sales through vending machines and mail order are also set to be banned. Bavaria welcomes this law. The state government had already announced in May 2024 that it would examine a sales ban. The federal law could be passed in the coming weeks and would take effect three months after its promulgation.
Internist Considers Sales Ban Long Overdue
Katrin Romanek from the Poison Control Center considers the ban long overdue, noting that other EU countries implemented it long ago. She points out that online trade is difficult to control. The doctor emphasizes: “It is important, especially to inform young people about the potential dangers and long-term damages of nitrous oxide consumption.”
Bavaria is focusing on the prevention project “Mindzone,” which specifically educates young people in the party scene about the risks of nitrous oxide. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health stated that they are proceeding sensitively to avoid stimulating interest in consumption.
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