Michigan leaders are working to ban all sales of whippets in hopes of curbing the recreational use of nitrous oxide.
Whippets are the small canisters of nitrous oxide found inside whipped cream containers -- hence, the drug’s name. The use of whippets, a popular party drug, has been on the rise among teenagers and young adults in recent years, according to U.S. health experts.
When the nitrous oxide is inhaled, it creates a brief high. And while the recreational use of the gas isn’t a new phenomenon, there is a growing concern over just how accessible these canisters are -- especially to young people.
Canisters of nitrous oxide aren’t only found in whipped cream; the gas is largely legal to purchase and can be found easily. But there are efforts underway in Michigan to change that.
We’re breaking down everything you need to know about the drug, and the new Michigan law just enacted this week.
What is nitrous oxide?
Nitrous oxide, also written as N2O, is a gas that is commonly used by dentists and medical professionals. Patients can be given nitrous oxide for sedation or pain relief during minor medical procedures.
The gas is also known as “laughing gas.” When given to patients in a medical setting, the gas is provided alongside a high flow of oxygen, experts say, ensuring oxygen continues flowing to the patient.
In addition to its medical use, nitrous oxide can also be found in food products -- such as its use as the propellant in a can of whipped cream. The gas is also used by the automotive industry to make cars go faster.
Recreational use of nitrous oxide
Outside of its professional use, some people also inhale nitrous oxide recreationally to get high. That’s where whippets come in.
“People who use whippets inhale the gas from those chargers [in whipped cream]. Some people inhale the gas directly. Others fill something like a balloon with the nitrous oxide gas and inhale it from the balloon. Or they fill a bag with the nitrous oxide and close the bag around their head,” the Cleveland Clinic says.
Breathing in the undiluted nitrous oxide from whippet canisters can create a euphoric high that decreases physical pain and can even cause hallucinations. This high typically only lasts a few minutes. Some users will continue to inhale from multiple canisters to maintain the high.
The dangers of whippets
Recreational use of nitrous oxide cannot create a physical addiction, but can form a physiological addiction -- meaning your brain likes the effect of the drug, and craves it more and more.
Apart from addictions, using whippets can lead to actual physical harm, both from short term and long term use.
Short term use
In the short term, whippets can cause the following symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic:
- Dizziness, faintness and passing out.
- Irregular heart rhythms.
- Headaches.
- Nausea.
- Irritability or emotional dysregulation.
The drug can also cause hallucinations, paranoia, and impairments to your judgement and motor skills, which can lead to accidents and injuries, experts say.
Inhaling nitrous oxide directly from a canister can also cause frostbite on the lips, nose, and throat due to the cold temperature of the gas. The significant pressure of the gas in the canister can also hurt the lungs.
It’s rare, but there have been reports of people dying from asphyxiation due to inhaling nitrous oxide.
Long term use
Doing whippets continuously over a period of time can cause serious physical damage to your body, particularly the muscles, kidneys and liver, officials say.
Inhaling nitrous oxide can lead to a “severe” B12 vitamin deficiency that can cause a serious weakness of the muscles -- so much so that it could land you in the hospital.
“In cases of extreme B12 deficiency, people can be hospitalized for long periods of time and even permanently lose muscle function,” the Cleveland Clinic says.
Inhaling the gas recreationally can also decrease the oxygen available in your blood, which can cause organ damage. The lack of oxygen can put significant pressure on the kidneys and liver, damaging them.
Some experts say long term use can also result in brain damage, nerve damage, hearing loss, motor control issues and more.
Why are whippets legal in the first place?
Nitrous oxide has several professional purposes, allowing it to be purchased by medical professionals, dentists, and those manufacturing products like whipped cream. It is not illegal to buy or sell, and possession of the gas is not illegal in the United States.
The gas is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA. Individuals can buy the nitrous oxide chargers for their reusable whipped cream dispensers.
Selling of the gas has become more problematic in recent years, however, given how accessible it is to be purchased for recreational use.
Where do people buy whippets?
Whippets and other canisters of nitrous oxide can be purchased in physical stores and online. Packs of whipped cream chargers can even be purchased on Amazon, or in Walmart stores.
Local 4 reporter Victor Williams was able to walk into a smoke shop this week and purchase a pack of canisters for $25.
The fact that whippets are being sold in places like smoke shops -- which appears to fall out of the realm of anything related to whipped cream needs -- contributed to a new law enacted in Michigan to help curb the selling of recreational nitrous oxide.
New Michigan law banning whippets
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer this week signed two bills into law that bar a person or business from selling objects designed for recreational inhalation of nitrous oxide. The new law specifically bans the sale of objects “designed for inhaling nitrous oxide for recreational purposes or drug paraphernalia.”
Simply put: Canisters of nitrous oxide that aren’t meant for professional use or food products are not allowed to be sold. This law takes effect on June 10, 2024.
Any person or business owner who defies this new law can be charged with a misdemeanor that carries a punishment of up to 90 days in prison, and a fine of up to $5,000, or both. If an adult sells the product to a minor, that punishment increases to up to 1 year in prison, and a fine of up to $7,500, or both.
It wasn’t immediately clear how this new ban would impact businesses in Michigan. It also wasn’t clear if the law would affect e-commerce websites that aren’t based in Michigan, but sell products to people in Michigan.
Some concerns lingered over whether a person or business could claim they didn’t know the nitrous oxide products they sell are designed for recreational use. The law does say, however, that a person found in violation of the ban will be notified at least two days before they face an arrest.
Some other states, like New York, have also banned the sale of nitrous oxide meant for recreational use. One grocery store even went so far as to request identification from people purchasing whipped cream just to be safe -- though officials said that wasn’t the intent behind the law.
How the ban will impact the sale of whipped cream in Michigan remains to be seen.
Read: Entire Michigan bills
You can read Senate bills 57 and 58, which were signed into law by Michigan Gov. Whitmer earlier this week, below.