Want to Buy Whipped Cream? Bring Your ID
By Yehudit Garmase
New York grocery owners who sell whipped cream canisters to customers under the age of 21 may face fines of up to $500.
Turns out that some teens and others are not buying the delicious, sweet concoction to put on desserts and coffee, but to inhale the nitrous oxide that propels the whipped cream through the canister's nozzle.
Nitrous oxide is the “laughing gas” that is sometimes used by dentists and oral surgeons, but is called “whippits,” by users of the drug that provides feelings of euphoria and relaxation, nbcnewyork.com reported.
Using nitrous oxide to get the giggles, however, can be deadly, said state Sen. Addabbo, who sponsored a new law that requires NYs store owners to check the identification of whipped cream customers.
"Sadly, young people buy and inhale this gas to get ‘high’ because they mistakenly believe it is a ‘safe’ substance," said state Sen. Addabbo who became aware of the widespread abuse of nitrous oxide in NYC after some of his constituents in Queens complained that they were finding an abundance of discarded whipped cream cans on their streets.
"This new law is an important step in combatting a significant problem for many neighborhoods throughout my district,” state Sen. Addabbo said when the law went into effect in November 2021. “Used ‘whippits’ piling up in our communities are not only eye sores, but also indicative of a significant nitrous oxide abuse problem."