Overview
- A young woman was found dead in a Roubaix apartment where police counted about 30 large nitrous oxide canisters, and the Lille prosecutor opened an inquiry.
- Medico-legal tests are under way to determine the cause of death, with a preliminary assessment indicating a possible link to excessive consumption.
- Local authorities in cities including Orléans and Dijon are enacting or renewing orders restricting public use and some sales, saying municipal tools are insufficient.
- Nord deputy Vincent Ledoux proposes adding nitrous oxide to the list of controlled drugs, and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has signaled support for tightening national rules.
- Clinicians report rising cases with severe neurological, vascular and psychiatric harm, prevention groups are mobilizing, and a prior Senate vote to penalize diverted use left broader retail restrictions unresolved.