Whippets: What To Know About The Drug Growing In Popularity Among Young People

However, throughout the duration of the substance’s effect, there’s a real risk of fainting, injury, and sudden oxygen deprivation. When these canisters are punctured, they release nitrous oxide, which users inhale to experience a sense of euphoria. Whippits, specifically, are tied to the small metal canisters (chargers) used in dispensers for whipped cream. While inhaling nitrous oxide from small canisters might seem harmless or even playful, the reality is more complex.

Like abusing other kinds of inhalants, such what is whipit as paint thinners or glue, whippets use can pose threats to your health. Some states have made it illegal to sell nitrous oxide canisters to people under the age of 21 in an effort to curb inhalant abuse. The name “whippets” is a reference to whipped cream canisters, which contain little chargers that are filled with nitrous oxide. While many drugs can be used through inhalation, ‘inhalants’ are substances that are typically used only by inhaling. Other names for the whippets drug are laughing gas (though it rarely causes people to laugh), nitro, nangs, nossies, hippy crack, and balloons. Chronic inhalant abuse can also lead to long-term consequences to physical health and mental health, according to the U.S.

Whippets: What You Need to Know About These Inhalant Drugs

All over TikTok, teens are getting high on nitrous oxide by misusing dispensers by the company Galaxy Gas intended for culinary appliances. A 2021 New York state law banning the sale of “whipped cream chargers” to anyone under 21 led to confusion, causing some grocery stores to ask for identification before selling whipped cream to customers, AP News reported. It’s also illegal to sell the substance to anyone under the age of 18 in many states, like Arizona, California and Connecticut. Although it hasn’t been made illegal by the federal government, several states have outlawed sales and recreational use of the substance.

• People have turned to Galaxy Gas as the latest form of this inhalant.
• “Because nitrous oxide displaces oxygen from blood cells, depresses the central nervous system, and can strain the heart, sudden death can occur, especially with extended or repeated inhalations,” Forcier says.
• Avoid alcohol and other drugs if you use whippets.
• Treatment options for whippet addiction include medically supervised detoxification, ongoing health monitoring, vitamin B12 supplementation, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and participation in support groups like Narcotics Anonymous, focusing on both acute and chronic aspects of the addiction.
• This practice is dangerous and leads to serious health complications including oxygen deprivation, vitamin B12 deficiency, and nerve damage.

What Are Whippits?

Regular health monitoring identifies and treats physiological damage caused by substance use, such as neurological or respiratory issues. The whippet withdrawal symptoms include intense drug cravings, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, sleep problems, vomiting, excessive sweating, and possible hallucinations. The symptoms of whippet addiction include dizziness, slurred speech, coordination loss, and tingling sensations in extremities, which significantly impact daily functioning.

Do whippets have withdrawal symptoms?

The gas is a fairly popular party drug that can cause you to feel euphoria, loopyness, and confusion. While Galaxy Gas has put out a statement to Vice clarifying that their product was never intended as a tool for people to get high and certainly never intended for children, the misuse of nitrous oxide has long been an infamous part of pop culture. Louisiana recently banned the recreational use and sale of nitrous oxide to people of any age in May, and the law went into effect on August 1. In some states like Iowa it’s illegal for a person of any age to sell, use or possess nitrous oxide for the purpose of unlawfully inhaling the substance. Nitrous oxide—also known as laughing gas—is notoriously known as a party drug, and has been used recreationally for centuries, but it’s also safely used as a dental sedative, and in car engines and food preparation. Galaxy Gas has blown up in popularity on social media platforms like TikTok and X, sparking health concerns for young people accross the country.

• These side effects are normally very short-lived, often driving users to repeat whippit abuse in high volume.
• If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, Quest 2 Recovery is here to guide you on the path to recovery.
• The short-term effects of whippet abuse include brief but intense feelings of euphoria, relaxation, floating, and mild hallucinations.
• It’s therefore possible that whippets can kill brain cells, though no one knows how many.
• One of the most notable concerns is vitamin B12 depletion, which can result in permanent nerve damage.

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Don’t open whippet canisters around flammable substances, open flames, or cigarettes. Several people have died doing whippets this way. Symptoms depend on your weight, overall health, the amount you use, and if you’ve mixed it with other drugs. While nitrous oxide might not affect your memory, intelligence, or concentration to the extent that other drugs do, it will still have an impact.

Are whippets dangerous?

Whippets can be used recreationally for their effects. Call us today to start your journey to recovery. Take the first step towards a brighter, addiction-free future with Quest 2 Recovery.

Are whippets legal?

This method of inhaling nitrous oxide has become a concerning recreational practice despite serious health risks. The gas is typically inhaled through a balloon or directly from the canister, producing a quick, short-lived high. The researchers also found specific factors that help teens stay drug-free after treatment. This difference proves CBT helps teens stop using inhalants. Their study showed that after one year, only 38% of teens who received CBT continued using inhalants, compared to 58% who didn’t get CBT. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) targets triggers and coping mechanisms, reducing reliance on nitrous oxide by fostering healthier behavioral responses.

You’re certainly better off doing one or two at a time than hundreds, as some of the most addicted people do. Its long-term use can cause kidney, nerve, and heart problems. Although nitrous oxide is legal, sniffing it is not. If you or a friend is overdosing on nitrous oxide, call 911 immediately. This happens because your brain likes the high from nitrous oxide. But you can develop a psychological addiction to them.

But using nitrous oxide for recreational purposes is illegal. Doctors and dentists use nitrous oxide as a sedative. People use it to create whipped cream and cooking spray, as well as to increase the power of car engines. Some states have specifically banned the sale of whippet crackers. The balloon allows the gas temperature to warm up.

Dispose of empty canisters responsibly, either in a special trash bin (if you’re at a festival or concert), or take them home. It’s never a good idea to mix substances. Put the nitrous oxide into a balloon first and then inhale it. Experts still don’t understand exactly how nitrous oxide affects your body. The high only lasts a few minutes, leading users to repeatedly sniff large quantities over a short period to continue the buzz.

Repeated use of whippets over time can severely decrease the oxygen available in your blood, too. The effect in some people who use whippets chronically can be similar to people living with Guillain-Barré syndrome, which is a condition when the immune system attacks the body’s nerves.” That helps to keep people safe from some of the dangerous effects of the gas,” Dr. Baskin clarifies. People who use whippets inhale the gas from those chargers. Dr. Baskin further breaks down what whippets are and how they can affect your health. “Whippets are inhalant drugs,” says emergency physician Bryan Baskin, DO, FACEP.

If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please contact at If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your health care provider. The information provided through Addictionresource.net should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Repeatedly inhaling, or inhaling in succession, could lead to severe side effects, including loss of consciousness and death. Side effects may vary somewhat depending on how much of the fumes you inhale.

Some people use whippets to enhance sexual pleasure, or even take a hit right before they orgasm to amplify it. It’s easy to buy nitrous oxide canisters over the counter, and the gas is found in everyday household items, like whipped cream cans and sprayable cooking oil; it’s even used to make nitro coffee. The name whippet comes from nitrous oxide’s use in reusable whipped cream dispensers often found in restaurants, where it’s responsible for propelling the cream out of its container—the substance is not found in disposable whipped cream cans found in grocery stores. Several viral videos of young people showing off their whippet canisters or talking about the drug have gone viral on social media, garnering millions of views and likes on TikTok and X, formerly known as Twitter. As with whippets, Galaxy Gas has been abused for the high created by inhaling the nitrous oxide. Despite being a popular recreational drug among different age demographics, there is a growing trend of whippet abuse among young people and those who attend festivals and raves.

“It’s important to consider whether or not whippet use is creating a larger negative impact on your life,” Forcier says. To avoid frostbite or rapid propulsion into your mouth and lungs, you can discharge the canister into a balloon to allow for the gas to warm up and to inhale more slowly. Your environment must be well-ventilated, open, and not near cigarettes, flames, or flammable substances. It is best to not inhale the gas directly, using a plastic bag placed over your head, or in situations where if you pass out, you have the potential for serious injury (like driving a car, being in water or near heights). According to Forcier, nitrous oxide can affect the prefrontal cortex, which contains your brain’s areas of learning, decision making, and memory. The drug can be addictive, but not in the way you might be used to.

How are Whippits Abused?

The study revealed that approximately 12.64 million Americans ages 12 and older (4.6% of this population) have used nitrous oxide recreationally at least once in their lifetime. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, nitrous oxide (N₂O) misuse is alarmingly prevalent in the United States. Users experience short-lived intoxication characterized by lightheadedness and altered perception, which drives compulsive consumption patterns. When inhaled recreationally, nitrous oxide produces a brief but intense euphoric effect characterized by lightheadedness, mild hallucinations, and a dissociative state. According to the 2019 Global Drug Survey, N₂O was the 10th most popularly used drug worldwide (excluding tobacco, caffeine, and alcohol). She draws on a range of therapeutic approaches including CBT, CPT, EFT, Solution Focused Therapy, and Grief Counseling to support healing and recovery.

How can I tell if someone is abusing whippets?

“Intense pressures released can rupture the lungs and canisters can explode,” Forcier said. It’s important to note that forcing open canisters without an official rig can be very dangerous. Chargers can be opened and released into culinary whipped cream dispensers, balloons, bags, or various other implements.

It is a legal and readily available substance, making it an increasingly popular recreational drug. Nitrous oxide, sometimes referred to by slang terms ‘laughing gas’ or ‘hippy crack’, is used as an anesthetic for some procedures such as small dental work. Whippits are a type of inhalant that produce short-lived highs. It’s therefore possible that whippets can kill brain cells, though no one knows how many.