In an effort to prevent teenagers from inhaling nitrous oxide inside canisters, the state of New York will finally enforce a whipped cream ban for people under 21 years old.
The whipped cream ban was passed as a state law in November 2021 and was sponsored by Sen. Joseph Addabbo, who was made aware of the increasing ill effects of nitrous oxide inhalation among the youth in his district. Under the rules, people buying whipped cream will have to prove they are 21 years old by showing an ID.
Stores that sell whipped cream canisters to kids will be fined $250 for the first offense and then $500 for each subsequent violation. Organizations such as the New York Association of Convenience Stores told the New York Post that they will start flagging purchases of whipped cream canisters beginning Thursday, September 1.
Laughing gas epidemic seen in young kids
Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas or N2O, is commonly used as a propellant for whipped cream canisters, which are readily available in supermarkets and convenience stores. The gas is contained inside a two-inch cartridge.
According to the Albany Times Union, kids are popping these cartridges, also called whipped cream chargers or whippets, to force the gas out, which produces a kind of high. Addabbo said that young people in his district think these canisters are safer to use than drugs. However, nitrous oxide is a dangerous substance, especially when misused.
A study in the journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology cites the risks of recreational nitrous oxide use, including side effects like dizziness, disorientation, dissociation, loss of balance, memory impairment, cognition problems, and weakened legs. If the teens are too intoxicated from inhaling the laughing gas, they may trip, fall, and physically hurt themselves. Though the risk of dependence is low, frequent inhalation of N2O may lead to vitamin B12 deficiency that may progress into conditions like peripheral neuropathy and megaloblastic anemia.
In clinical settings, nitrous oxide is used by dentists or for childbirth; thus, it is widely available and affordable. However, in the last five years, recreational use of the substance has increased second only to cannabis use.
Doctors in the U.K. said there is a laughing gas epidemic among 16 to 24-year-olds, who enjoy the euphoric, relaxing, and calming effect of the substance at various music festivals. The same trend has been seen in the U.S.
Kids who are laughing gas casualties
The news comes as a 16-year-old with a promising life ahead of her has died after inhaling nitrous oxide at a house party. Kayleigh Burns, who has asthma, collapsed on the floor as her friends filmed her with the laughing gas. According to Daily Mail, she was rushed to the hospital, but doctors could no longer save her.
Kerry Donaldson has been inhaling laughing gas with her friends since she was 20. Now 25, the young woman has been left paralyzed in a wheelchair after a series of hospitalization due to the numbness of her legs and hands. She claimed she told doctors of her nitrous oxide use and was administered B12 injections. Donaldson said she never expected her physical health would deteriorate too fast.
