Overview
- The Alès prosecutor confirmed the 19-year-old driver and a 14-year-old front passenger tested positive for nitrous oxide, with the driver showing a relatively high level and also testing positive for alcohol and cannabis.
- Investigators identified the 19-year-old as the driver based on seat position and height; the car left the road during heavy rain and ended up in a private pool, where all three occupants, ages 14, 15 and 19, drowned.
- An Ofast note warns that nitrous oxide trafficking is in full expansion with increasingly structured networks exploiting the fact the gas is not classified as a narcotic and is easily bought in shops and online.
- Police recorded 1,207 nitrous-oxide-linked interventions in Paris and its inner suburbs in the first ten months of 2025, while investigators report few convictions and no available roadside test for drivers.
- Local authorities are tightening rules, including a Savoie prefectural order barring possession, transport and recreational use, as municipalities report discarded canisters, stepped-up prevention and fines up to €15,000.