The law, which went into effect in November 2021, is meant to prevent teenagers from using canned whipped cream to inhale nitrous oxide, otherwise known as "whippits."
"Inhalants are invisible, volatile substances found in common household products that produce chemical vapors that are inhaled to induce psychoactive or mind-altering effects," according to a US Drug Enforcement Administration factsheet.
Approximately 1 in 5 young people have used inhalants like whippits by the time they reach eighth grade, the DEA said. Abusing inhalants can "cause damage to the parts of the brain that control thinking, moving, vision, and hearing."
New York State Sen. Joseph Addabbo of Queens said he sponsored the New York law after receiving complaints of empty canisters littering the streets.
"The need to limit the access and sale of whippits first became apparent after receiving constituent complaints about empty canisters on neighborhood streets. Used whippits piling up in our communities are not only an eye sore, but also indicative of a significant nitrous oxide abuse problem," Addabbo said in an October 2021 statement.
"Nitrous oxide is a legal chemical for legitimate professional use but when used improperly, it can be extremely lethal," Addabbo added. "Sadly, young people buy and inhale this gas to get 'high' because they mistakenly believe it is a 'safe' substance. This law will eliminate easy access to this dangerous substance for our youth."
Reader Comments
The gas used in those cans are N2O, commonly known as "laughing gas".
NO and NO2 are indeed very toxic, and dissolve your lungs in a matter of hours.
A friend of mine was doing this while standing near a glass table and he fell through it when he passed out, luckily he wasn't seriously injured.
And again used as party drug more than two decades ago.
With the NO and NO2, you need two are three deep breath to finish you off. It will dissolve the alveales in a few hours, with a quite painful end.
Man is very resourceful about having fun, it seems ...
"Want some more canned whipped cream with your apple pie?"
This ship is sinking faster now than the passenger realize. And the crew is having canned whipped cream every day.
Better to educate and then let nature take care of the rest. I've always had a dim view of my friends who insufflate anything when safer alternatives to getting high are available. I had a group of friends in the 90s I stopped hanging out with when I learned they started smoking crack because the pot supply dried up. I didn't need friends that desperate to get high and willing to do something they'd frequently made fun of until it was all they could get.
Odd how nitrous oxide was used for decades by dentists and no one noticed all the brain damage