All over TikTok, teens are getting high on nitrous oxide by misusing dispensers by the company Galaxy Gas intended for culinary appliances. Celebrities like SZA have spoken out in concern about the trend, expressing similar concerns to those brought up about the marketing of vapes and other electronic cigarettes to children.
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“Sorry to be old n annoying but.. Is no one gonna talk about how galaxy gas came out of no where and is being MASS marketed to black children? the government is doing NOTHING ? .. since when are we selling whip its at the store ???? Somebody protect the children,” she wrote. “Something about the childlike designs and marketing is so spooky like .. stars and bright colors? you tryna entice the kids on purpose?”
While Galaxy Gas has put out a statement to Vice clarifying that their product was never intended as a tool for people to get high and certainly never intended for children, the misuse of nitrous oxide has long been an infamous part of pop culture. (If you’ve seen HBO’s “Girls,” you might remember an episode from Season 2 where Hannah and Jessa join a pair of boys for a countryside convertible joyride — one that takes a reckless turn when the crew starts taking turns inhaling gas from the end of a can of whipped cream.) The youth colloquially calling it “galaxy gas” as slang is new, but this is just the latest iteration of a decades-long societal fascination with the short-lived, giddy high of nitrous oxide or, as it was colloquially referred to for years, whippets. But what are whippets? The gas is a fairly popular party drug that can cause you to feel euphoria, loopyness, and confusion. Yet despite their prevalence, using whippets can carry risks, and the exact chemical composition of the drug evades most.
Whippets (also known as “whippits” or “whip-its”) are a colloquial name for nitrous oxide, a colorless gas with a sweet aftertaste with many common household uses — and which can be inhaled for a warm, tingling effect that can make you feel “happy drunk.” The drug is extremely affordable and accessible, which partly accounts for their popularity; in 2020, youth especially gravitated towards the gas, with 40% of tenth graders and 26% of eighth graders considered at risk of using the drug consistently.
It’s easy to buy nitrous oxide canisters over the counter, and the gas is found in everyday household items, like whipped cream cans and sprayable cooking oil; it’s even used to make nitro coffee. When used as an inhalant, effects can last up to a few minutes, depending on how much you inhale.
If you’ve ever been curious about whippets, their legality, their risks, or how to use them safely, read on for our full guide to the drug.
What are whippets?
Whippets are small cartridges that contain nitrous oxide, whose recreational use dates back to the late 1770s.
“Nitrous oxide is a chemical compound that is medically classified as a dissociative anesthetic and often used during medical procedures as a sedative,” says Dr. Michelle Forcier, a clinician for the LGBTQ+ telehealth company FOLX Health. “The drug can depress all sensations and detach you from yourself and your environment; when inhaled recreationally, it can create feelings of euphoria, confusion, and floating.” Forcier says it can also cause changes in perception and coordination, but the kind of high can vary from person to person depending on their usage.
“Because obtaining whippets is easier compared to obtaining other illegal drugs, they are frequently used by teens and young people,” Forcier said. This is partly due to the drug’s wide availability; besides being used in products as common as whipped cream, you’ll often find them being sold in smoke and sex shops. Their use is particularly popular for teens between the ages of 12 to 17 years old, who were almost two times as likely to have used whippets than young adults ages 18 to 25, according to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Commonly sold in small aluminum containers known as “chargers” (so called for the way they “charge” a whipping cream dispenser with the gas, thus aerosolizing the contents and whipping them), users will puncture a receptacle to release the gas to be inhaled. Chargers can be opened and released into culinary whipped cream dispensers, balloons, bags, or various other implements. It’s important to note that forcing open canisters without an official rig can be very dangerous. “Intense pressures released can rupture the lungs and canisters can explode,” Forcier said.
People often use whippets for the feeling of euphoria they can create on a night out. Some people use whippets to enhance sexual pleasure, or even take a hit right before they orgasm to amplify it.
The effects of the drug are immediate and can last several minutes. Though all of the materials to do whippets are legal to purchase, they’re illegal to ingest recreationally — and like many recreational drugs, legal or not, they carry risks and benefits, so it’s important to know how to use them safely and their possible adverse effects prior to dabbling.
The drug can be addictive, but not in the way you might be used to. Using nitrous oxide repetitively over a prolonged time period can cause you to develop a psychological dependence on the drug; though you won’t face any significant withdrawal symptoms, apart from cravings to use more nitrous. “Whippets are not addictive in the classic sense that narcotics are addictive, and do not target or affect the same brain receptors and chemistries,” says Forcier. “However, when a substance gets in the way of healthy functioning, activities and relationships then treating it as an addiction might be useful.”
According to an analysis by the National Library of Medicine, some risks in using nitrous oxide include paresthesia, weakness, equilibrium disorders, electric shocks down the spine, and loss of muscle control.
Are whippets safe to do?
Whippets aren’t risk-free; they can cause fainting or cardiac arrest when using other depressants or stimulant drugs. If inhaled directly, the drug can cause frostbite, given the pressurized canisters they are dispensed from can reach temperatures as cold as negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Asphyxiation is another serious risk. “Because nitrous oxide displaces oxygen from blood cells, depresses the central nervous system, and can strain the heart, sudden death can occur, especially with extended or repeated inhalations,” Forcier says. Especially, she notes, in cases of extreme use, like using them in poorly ventilated spaces or inhaling them with a bag over one’s head. Using other stimulants or depressants simultaneously might increase the risk of sudden death, too.
There are more severe nitrous oxide side effects if you use them a lot. According to Forcier, nitrous oxide can affect the prefrontal cortex, which contains your brain’s areas of learning, decision making, and memory. Neurologic damage can occur after chronic use, especially in young people and teens.
According to Forcier, there isn’t much data on the effects of using whippets with other drugs, so the risks are unclear, though it is not recommended to use other depressants or stimulants at the same time. Forcier says using whippets with other substances like cannabis, ketamine, and other dissociative drugs may create a more intense out-of-body experience. Using whippets with alcohol may cause more feelings of confusion, fatigue, and lack of coordination, and taking whippets with stimulants might put additional strain on the heart and changes in heat beats or blood pressure, Forcier says.
When doing whippets, you should use the buddy system. It is not recommended that you use whippets if you are alone, as you can have an adverse reaction without someone there to help. It is best to not inhale the gas directly, using a plastic bag placed over your head, or in situations where if you pass out, you have the potential for serious injury (like driving a car, being in water or near heights). Your environment must be well-ventilated, open, and not near cigarettes, flames, or flammable substances. To avoid frostbite or rapid propulsion into your mouth and lungs, you can discharge the canister into a balloon to allow for the gas to warm up and to inhale more slowly.
And if you think your whippet use is becoming a problem or you are facing addiction, acknowledging that it is a problem is the first step. If available to you, therapy is always a great option, especially for tackling not just the habit but the reasons behind one’s use. Getting in touch with your local substance use or recovery services to find out programming specific to nitrous oxide use is also something to consider. “It’s important to consider whether or not whippet use is creating a larger negative impact on your life,” Forcier says. “Substance use is common and a part of most cultures. Using substances safely and in moderation are critical to long-term health and safety.”
Are whippets legal?
One of the most popular ways to do whippets is through whipped cream dispensers. Though all of the materials to do whippets, like whipped cream canisters, are legal, their consumption is not. The recreational use of Nitrous Oxide canisters is illegal in all states under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016. Some states are attempting to limit access and recreational “Whip-it” use by proposing bills to ban the “Whip-its” from smoke shops.
At this time, they can still be purchased at smoke shops and at sex shops under the guise that they will be used to make whipped cream. As with all drugs, it’s important to approach whippets cautiously, and make sure you are taking safety precautions before inhaling.
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