CMQ wants Santé Québec to phase out polluting anesthetic gases

Surgical instruments are arranged in June 15, 2023. (Mark Humphrey/The Associated Press)

The Collège des médecins du Québec (CMQ) is calling on Santé Québec to phase out polluting anesthetic gases still used in surgery within the health care system.

In a press release issued Wednesday morning, the CMQ urged Santé Québec to stop using desflurane and shut down nitrous oxide lines in health care facilities.

The two anesthetic gases have a high environmental footprint; compared to sevoflurane, desflurane’s carbon footprint is 40 times higher, and nitrous oxide has a lifespan of 109 years in the atmosphere.

The CMQ emphasized that inhaling anesthetic gases contributes significantly to GHG emissions from the health care system.

It argued that eliminating the two most polluting agents could be done quickly, and is scientifically proven to reduce the health care system’s environmental footprint.

As such, Quebec’s Health Ministry, at the request of the Association of Anesthesiologists of Quebec, tasked the National Institute of Excellence in Health and Social Services (INESSS) with formulating recommendations on best clinical practices to reduce the carbon footprint of general inhalation anesthesia.

In the summer of 2024, INESSS published an advisory recommending the shutdown of centralized nitrous oxide distribution systems by ceasing the supply to the piping.

It also recommended that desflurane be removed from the provincial drug formulary, which has not yet been done.

The CMQ stated that it supports INESSS’s clinical recommendations.

In its press release, it asserted an “urgent need to act by making a rapid and structured shift toward more sustainable anesthetic practices.”

It added that the removal of desflurane and the reduction of nitrous oxide do not compromise patient safety.

CMQ President Dr. Mauril Gaudreault argued that the College’s mandate to protect the public is linked to sound environmental practices in health care.

“As a committed advocate for sustainable health, the College supports anesthetic practices with a lower environmental impact, in accordance with the evidence,” said Gaudreault. “This is why we are asking Santé Québec to take action to ensure that these two polluting gases are gradually phased out. We will follow up with the government in this regard.”

The Canadian Press’s health coverage is supported by a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for this journalistic content.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 3, 2026.