Nitrous oxide is a colorless gas that is used for sedation and pain relief. It is discharged by a whippet, a tank that discharges the gas. If you have had your wisdom teeth removed, for example, the dentist usually gives you an option of this laughing gas. However, the doctor supervises its administration.
Dangerous Out of the Hands of Doctors
When used by teens to get high during raves, parties, it can produce an altered state that lasts 30 to 45 seconds. Known to reduce the blood’s level of oxygen, it can cause fainting and has the capability to induce a heart attack by the rapid loss of blood pressure. For more short-term and long-term effects, see my blog “Laughing Gas is no Laughing Matter,” February 3, 2021. Yes, it is still a problem!
It is legal to buy these canisters but not to inhale (“huff” them). How do you enforce that rule? It’s been abused for a long time. According to a report in The New York Times, “A Look at Galaxy Gas ” and Who is Inhaling It,” October 3, 2024 by Callie Holtermann, 13 million Americans have misused nitrous oxide. That’s a lot of Reddi-Whip!
In 2021, New York passed a law that stated no one under twenty-one can purchase the whipped cream chargers with gas. However, we all know how easy it is for a teen to obtain a fake driver’s license.
The Nefarious Galaxy Gas
Recently, a company called Galaxy Gas, based in Atlanta, has been banned from TikTok because it showed young adults huffing their product. Those videos garnered over millions of views. Sold in canisters with bright colors and labeling, however, you can find their canisters with names like Vanilla Cupcake on other websites such as X, and Amazon and are touted as erotic enhancements.
If you go to Galaxy Gas’s website, you will find the following message: “products containing nitrous oxide are solely as a food processing propellant for whipped cream and culinary food use only.”
Wesley Cullen Davidson
Wesley Cullen Davidson is an award-winning freelance writer and journalist specializing in parenting. Currently, she is targeting her writing about recovery to parents whose children have substance abuse disorders.