(CNN) – For some young people, a popular method of getting high quickly is the abuse of laughing gas, and lately, they are getting it in the form of nitrous oxide from products sold by the company Galaxy Gas.
Those products are the Atlanta-based company’s whipped cream chargers, which are intended solely for culinary uses, including cold brew coffees, desserts, sauces and more. A whipped cream charger is a stainless steel cartridge filled with nitrous oxide that, when dispensed, helps cream and other ingredients transform into a whipped or foamy state, according to the company. But without a food ingredient in the container, dispensing the charger only emits nitrous oxide.
Nitrous oxide misuse is not new, said Dr. Gail Saltz, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College at Cornell University and associate psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
But the practice has been “increasing rapidly” across the United States and the United Kingdom, according to a March 2018 study. There is also an increase in the number of young people abusing so-called laughing gas: among people ages 16 to 24 years in the United Kingdom, where possession is now illegal, the use of nitrous oxide was second only to cannabis in 2020. And spikes in use in the Netherlands have been linked to increasing numbers of young people reaching the hospital with neurological consultations.
Adolescence is often a period of a heightened combination of curiosity, peer pressure, the desire to experiment or do things considered unacceptable, the desire to be included, mood problems, and other stressors that adolescents may seek to escape. Saltz said.
“All of those things can motivate a teenager to try a substance that gets them high,” he added. And “the route to exposure, of course, has expanded enormously because of social media.”
TikTok, for example, is now attempting to ban users from viewing any content that results from searching for “Galaxy Gas” on its platform, directing users to helplines and resources about the effects of substance abuse. But videos that circumvent censorship by omitting certain letters from the label have millions of views. It should be noted that some videos on social media labeled “Galaxy Gas” show nitrous oxide products from other brands.
And although the products themselves are not malicious, the availability of different flavors can be attractive to children, Saltz said.
The improper and illegal use of nitrous oxide products poses serious health dangers, a Galaxy Gas spokesperson said in a statement.
“Galaxy Gas products are for responsible culinary use only, and we are deeply concerned by recent news reports and social media posts of individuals illegally using our products,” the company spokesperson added. As a result, Galaxy Gas has paused all sales of its whipped cream chargers for the time being.
“Our terms of use and conditions of sale strictly prohibit illegal use, misuse or access to children,” the spokesperson said. “If you or someone you know is misusing a nitrous oxide product, please call or text the Crisis Line at 988 for help with resources to prevent substance abuse.”
Here’s what parents should know about the risks, signs that their child is using such products, and how to talk to them about substance abuse and social media trends.
The original purpose of nitrous oxide is for use in medical settings, such as relaxing patients for dental procedures, Saltz said.
In that context, “it is generally administered as a combination of oxygen with nitrous oxide, not pure nitrous oxide, and regulated under an environment,” Saltz said. “It is administered in a slow manner, so it is not obliterating the oxygen supply that you would otherwise receive. And it’s not a blast from him either.”
But inhaling rapid bursts of pure nitrous oxide essentially replaces your oxygen intake, which can lead to loss of consciousness, heart attack, malaise, loss of coordination, headaches, nausea, vomiting and seizures, Saltz said. Other risks include brain damage, anemia, nerve damage, paralysis, vitamin B12 deficiency, and nitrous oxide dependence.
Misuse of nitrous oxide can also be fatal, and how much exposure is required for that consequence depends on the amount and the individual.
Educating your children about substance abuse
Given the risks, it’s important for guardians to have ongoing, open conversations with children about nitrous oxide and substance misuse in general, Saltz said.
“Most parents just think their child doesn’t know or won’t find out, because that’s their wish,” Saltz added. “But really, by the time a child is a preteen, there’s every chance that they’re being exposed to all of this and they know it, and someone around them is participating. So it’s naive to think ‘if I don’t say anything, they won’t know about this and won’t stumble across it.’”
Talking to them before their preteen years, rather than waiting until the end of high school, which is common, is best and won’t encourage them to use substances, Saltz said.
Always start with questions rather than a lecture that can make kids stop paying attention to you, she said. These may include: Have you heard of this? What do you know, think and feel about it? What are you seeing on social media about this? Are any of 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 teenagers having fun while misusing laughing gas together are only part of the puzzle: they don’t show the harm these activities sometimes cause, and just because those effects don’t happen to everyone, that doesn’t mean that it won’t happen to them. Encourage your child to come to you before trying something they see online.
Be clear that you are always available to talk or answer questions, and that if they or their friends ever get into a worrying situation, you will always help first and ask questions later, Saltz said.
Signs that your child is misusing nitrous oxide may include empty cartridges in his or her room, fits of laughter, an inexplicably and strangely euphoric mood, not knowing what he or she spent the money on, 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 charger, or discovers that theirs is missing, those are also warning signs.
“If you think your child is regularly using any substance,” he added, “taking them to a mental health professional is a good idea, someone who has experience with substance use or abuse, because it may not be possible to simply ask your child stop doing it.”
