The TikTok trend known as "Galaxy Gas" has emerged as a concerning phenomenon, particularly among young people seeking euphoric experiences through the inhalation of flavored nitrous oxide. While marketed primarily for culinary applications, the misuse of this substance for recreational purposes poses significant health risks . The accessibility of nitrous oxide—available online and in various retail outlets—compounds the issue, leading to increased instances of abuse and subsequent health crises.
Those products are the Atlanta-based company’s whipped cream chargers that are solely intended for culinary
uses, including cold brew coffees, desserts, sauces and more. A whipped cream charger is a nitrous oxide-filled, stainless-steel cartridge that, upon dispensing, helps cream and other ingredients transform into a whipped state, according to the company. But without a food ingredient in the canister, dispensing the charger emits just the nitrous oxide.
Nitrous oxide misuse — or “doing whippets,” as older adults may call it — isn’t new, said Dr. Gail Saltz, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College at Cornell University and associate attending psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Galaxy Gas did not respond to an email request for comment. However, in the FAQ section of its website, the company explains that a whipped cream charger “is a stainless steel cartridge filled with nitrous oxide (N2O) gas. Nitrous Oxide is a gas that helps cream, as well as other ingredients, form into a frothy, whipped state upon dispensing. Compared to traditional whipping by hand, whipped cream chargers are able to increase the volume of whipped cream by 4x...An average whipped cream charger contains 8 grams of N2O under pressure and is non-refillable.”
Signs your kid is misusing nitrous oxide can include empty canisters in their room, fits of laughter, inexplicably and bizarrely euphoric mood, not knowing where money has gone and hanging out with kids exhibiting similar issues, Saltz said. Other potential indicators include a decline in academic or athletic performance, or an unusual preference to be alone.
If your kid innocuously asks if the family can buy a whipped cream charger, or you find yours is missing, those are warning signs, too.
“If you think your child is regularly using anything,” she added, “taking them to a (mental health) professional is a good idea — somebody who has experience in substance use or abuse, because just asking your child to stop may not be possible.”
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