Dangerous phenomena: when fashions put lives at risk

In school playgrounds, nightclubs, on social media and among groups of friends, dangerous fads are spreading and succeeding one another. Often trivialised, these practices can nevertheless have serious, even fatal consequences. Today, several of them are of particular concern to health authorities and prevention professionals: taking «Pète ton crâne» (literally "break your skull"), the Hot Chip Challenge, and the deliberate inhalation of nitrous oxide (laughing gas).

Also known as PTC or «Buddha Blue», «Pète ton crâne» is a new drug that is becoming increasingly widespread. Although its exact composition can be difficult to determine, PTC is a synthetic cannabis that does not contain THC (the substance responsible for the effects of cannabis on the brain) but has much more violent effects: panic attacks or paranoia, heart rhythm disorders, loss of mobility, self-destructive or suicidal behaviour and, in the event of an overdose, death. In addition, PTC is much more addictive than cannabis and is most often consumed in the form of e-cigarette liquid, thus going unnoticed. Over the past two years, there has been an increase in cases of illness and poisoning linked to PTC use among young people, causing concern among health authorities. For more information or to get help, contact Drug Information Service online or by calling the following number: 0 800 23 13 13.

Another phenomenon that has recently appeared on social media is a challenge that involves eating an extremely spicy crisps, marketed under the name « Hot Chip Challenge »Sold for around ten euros per chip, this product, which is supposedly prohibited for children under 16, is wreaking havoc among young adolescents. Numerous accidents have been caused by ingesting such a spicy food: burns in the mouth and on the lips, vomiting, discomfort and, in the most extreme cases, death. This is what happened in September 2023 in the United States, when a 14-year-old teenager died of cardiac arrest caused by excessive levels of capsaicin, the substance responsible for the burning sensation in chillies.

Finally, an extremely dangerous practice, yet widely trivialised, continues to cause serious accidents: the deliberate inhalation of nitrous oxide, better known as laughing gas. Diverted from its medical and food uses, or from being used to inflate balloons, this gas is consumed by young people and adults alike to seek a feeling of euphoria or dizziness. Its effects can be rapid and severe: headaches, dizziness, loss of consciousness, neurological disorders, vitamin B12 deficiency, irreversible nerve damage and, in some cases, death. Repeated or heavy consumption significantly increases the health risks.

Prevention and information remain the best tools for preventing these tragedies: talk about it.