CNN
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Among some young people, abusing laughing gas is a popular way to get high quickly. Lately, this has been done in the form of nitrous oxide from products made by the company Galaxy Gas.

Those products are the Atlanta-based company’s cream whippers, which are intended exclusively for culinary uses, including cold brew coffee, desserts, sauces and more. A cream whipper is a nitrous oxide-filled stainless steel cartridge that, when dispensed, helps transform cream and other ingredients into a whipped state, the company says. But without a food ingredient in the canister, dispensing the cartridge only emits nitrous oxide.

Laughing gas abuse — or “doing the whippet,” as older adults might call it — isn’t new, says Dr. Gail Saltz, an associate professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University and an associate professor of psychiatry at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

But the practice is “growing rapidly” in the United States and the United Kingdom, according to a March 2018 study. There’s also been a rise in the number of young people abusing laughing gas: among people aged 16 to 24 in the UK – where possession is now illegal – laughing gas use was second only to cannabis in 2020. And spikes in use in the Netherlands have been linked to a rise in young people arriving in hospital with neurological complaints.

The teenage years are often a time of heightened combination of curiosity, peer pressure, the desire to experiment or do things deemed unacceptable, the desire to fit in, mood problems and other stressors that teens are trying to escape from, Saltz says.

“All of those things can motivate a teen to try a substance that gets them high,” she added. And “the pathway to exposure has obviously been greatly expanded by social media.”

TikTok, for example, is now trying to ban users from viewing content that would result from searching for “Galaxy Gas” on its platform by directing users to helplines and resources about the effects of substance abuse. But videos that circumvent censorship by omitting certain letters from the tag have garnered millions of views. (It’s worth noting that some social media videos tagged “Galaxy Gas” have shown other brands of laughing gas products.)

And while the products themselves aren’t harmful, the availability of different flavors can be appealing to kids, Saltz says.

The unlawful misuse of nitrous oxide products poses serious health risks, a Galaxy Gas spokesperson said in a statement.

“Galaxy Gas products are intended for responsible culinary use only and we are very concerned about recent news and social media reports of individuals illegally misusing our products,” the company spokesperson added. As a result, Galaxy Gas has halted all sales of its cream whippers at this time.

“Both our Terms of Use and Terms of Sale strictly prohibit any unlawful use, abuse or solicitation of children,” the spokesperson said. “If you or someone you know is abusing a nitrous oxide product, call or text the Crisis Lifeline at 988 for assistance in connecting you to substance abuse resources.”

Here’s what parents need to know about the risks, the signs that your child may be using such products, and how to talk to them about substance abuse and social media trends.

According to Saltz, the original purpose of nitrous oxide was for medical applications, such as relaxing patients after dental procedures.

In that context, “it’s usually administered as a combination of oxygen and nitrous oxide, not pure nitrous oxide, and regulated under a setting,” Saltz said. “It’s administered in a slow release form … so it doesn’t destroy the oxygen supply that you would otherwise get. And it’s not a rush of it either.”

But inhaling quick bursts of pure nitrous oxide essentially replaces your oxygen intake, which can lead to unconsciousness, heart attack, feeling sick, loss of coordination, headache, nausea, vomiting and seizures, Saltz said. Other risks include brain damage, anemia, nerve damage, paralysis, vitamin B12 deficiency and nitrous oxide dependency.

Incorrect use of nitrous oxide can also be fatal. The amount of nitrous oxide exposure needed to achieve this depends on the amount and the person.

Given the risks, it’s important for guardians to have ongoing, open conversations with children about nitrous oxide abuse and substances in general, Saltz said.

“Most parents just think that their child won’t know or won’t find out because that’s their wish,” Saltz added. “But really, by the time a child is a pre-teen, there’s a good chance that they’ve been exposed to all of this and they know about it, and someone around them is participating. So it’s just naive to think, ‘If I don’t say something, they won’t know and they’ll stumble across it.'”

It’s best to talk to kids before they hit puberty, rather than waiting until high school (which is often the case), Saltz says. This won’t encourage them to abuse substances.

Always start with questions rather than a lecture that can turn kids off, she said. They might include: Have you heard of this? What do you know, think, and feel about it? What do you see on social media about it? Are your friends doing this?

The conversation should be participatory, but you should share your concerns and answers to those same questions, Saltz said. Remind them that the videos they see of teens having fun abusing laughing gas together are just one piece of the puzzle — they don’t show the harm these activities sometimes cause, and just because those effects don’t happen to everyone doesn’t mean they won’t happen to them. Encourage your child to come to you before they try something they see online.

Make it clear that you are always available to talk or answer questions, and that if they or their friends ever find themselves in a troubling situation, you will always help first and ask questions later, Saltz said.

Signs that your child is abusing laughing gas may include empty canisters in their room, fits of laughter, an unexplained and bizarre euphoric mood, not knowing where their money has gone and hanging out with other children who exhibit similar problems, Saltz said. Other possible indicators include a decline in academic or athletic performance, or an unusual preference for being alone.

If your child innocently asks if the family can buy a whipped cream dispenser, or if you discover that your own can has gone missing, those are also warning signs.

“If you think your child is using something regularly,” she added, “it’s a good idea to take him or her to see a (mental health) professional — someone who has experience with substance abuse or misuse, because it may not be possible to just ask your child to stop.”