ARSENAL have confirmed they are set to investigate star Alexandre Lacazette after he reportedly filmed himself inhaling from a balloon during the coronavirus lockdown.
The Daily Star has uploaded footage that appears to show the French footballer with a balloon at his lips.
It comes just 18 months after the £180,000-a-week striker was warned by his club after The Sun obtained footage of him inhaling ‘hippy crack’.
The shocking video showed him along with fellow Gunners Matteo Guendouzi, Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the heart of the dangerous binge on nitrous oxide.
Arsenal officials quickly moved to warn their players of “their responsibilities as representatives of the club”.
There is no evidence to suggest that Lacazette was inhaling the same substance this time around.
In the footage, Lacazette appears to slowly inhale from the balloon before sinking back into his seat.
The Daily Star reports that he sent the video “to pals this week” and that he wrote in texts that he was “at home, chilling and doing balloons”.
When contacted by SunSport for comment, an Arsenal representative said: “This is a private matter which we are taking seriously.
“It will be handled internally.”
The player is yet to respond to the Daily Star’s requests for comment.
Lacazette joined Arsenal for a club-record £46.5million from Lyon on a five-year deal in the summer of 2017.
He has scored 45 goals in 114 games in all competitions.
Nitrous Oxide gas is legitimately used for pain relief in dental procedures but abused by party revellers craving the light-headed euphoria it induces when inhaled.
Abusing nitrous oxide can lead to oxygen deprivation and has been linked to at least 17 fatalities.
It is not illegal to possess the gas, but its sale is prohibited in England and Wales to under-18s if there is a risk they will inhale it.
THE use of nitrous oxide as a street drug seems wider than ever. It’s often called laughing gas but its dangers are no joke.
The risks are greatest when inhaled from a plastic bag, when it’s combined with alcohol and when others egg the user on.
Along with the rush of euphoria, the gas causes dizziness and hallucinations.
Afterwards there’s often headaches or intense tiredness. A large dose of nitrous oxide starves the body and brain of oxygen — which is why it can cause death or put the taker in a coma.
Regular users suffer pain, numbness and coordination issues that stay long-term.
I can’t imagine any serious athlete putting his life or career at risk like this once they know the danger.
