A recently passed state law prohibits New Yorkers aged under 21 from purchasing a can of whipped cream.
Effective from November 2021, it makes it illegal for young people to buy canned whipped cream to prevent them from inhaling nitrous oxide. The substance, also known as “Whippets,” is used as a recreational inhalant.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration describes inhalants as “invisible, volatile substances found in common household products that produce chemical vapors that are inhaled to induce psychoactive or mind-altering effects.”
Whippets, a name that comes from the whipped cream aerosol cans people open to inhale the gas inside, are among the 10 most abused drugs in the world. Investigations showed that the drug, obtained from legitimately purchased products, was primarily used by adolescents aged under 18.
DEA reports showed that about one in five youths had used inhalants like whippets, also known as “whippits,” by the time they reach the eighth grade.
However, authorities and experts have expressed concern that inhalant use has been linked to damage to the brain parts that control thinking, vision, hearing, and movement.
According to New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo of Queens, the law was sponsored after authorities received complaints about empty canisters littering the streets.
In a statement issued in October 2021, Mr. Addabbo said: “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,” he added.
Mr. Addabbo explained that while nitrous oxide is a legal product for “legitimate professional use,” it can be extremely lethal if used improperly.
“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,” Mr. Addabbo went on.
In response, the state’s stores have started requiring identification documents from people who buy canned whipped cream.
Last week, a photo showing a Stewart’s convenience store went viral due to a poster’s message. “Effective 8/12/22 we will be IDing for whipped cream! Must be 21 years old!” it read.
