The “Galaxy Gas” Trend Whipping Up
For some young people, a popular method for getting a quick high is through the use of laughing gas. recently, this is available in the form of nitrogen oxide, which is a products made via the business Galaxy Gas or Cosmic Gas.
These are the company’s whipped cream chargers specifically designed for culinary uses, including cold coffees, desserts sauces and more. A whip cream charger is nitrous-oxygen-filled stainless-steel cartridge that, upon dispensing, will help cream and other ingredients turn into whipped as per the manufacturer. In the absence of a food component inside the container, the charger only releases nitrous oxide.
Nitrous oxide misuse — or “doing whippets,” as older adults call it – isn’t something new according to Dr. Gail Saltz, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College at Cornell University and associate attending psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
However, the use of laughing gas has been “rapidly rising” throughout the United States and the United Kingdom in a study from March 2018. There has also been an increase in the number of young people abusing laughing gas: Among people ages 16 to 24 in Britain -in a country where smoking is now banned — nitrous oxide use was second only to cannabis usage in 2020. Also, the increase in use in the Netherlands have been caused by an increase in the number of teenagers arriving at the hospital with neurological problems.
The teenage years are typically a period of a heightened mixture of curiosity, stress from peer groups, need to try new things or be considered unacceptable, the wish to be accepted in a group, mood disorders and other stressful situations that teens can seek refuge from Saltz said.
“All those things can motivate a teen toward trying a substance that makes them high,” she explained. Additionally “the route toward exposure of course is vastly expanded because of social media.”
TikTok for instance, is currently trying to block users from watching any content that would result from the search “Galaxy Gas or Cosmic Gas” on its platform, by providing helplines and sources on the effects of substance misuse. However, videos that bypass the censorship process by not removing certain letters of the tag have thousands of viewers. (It’s worth noting that some social media videos tagged “Galaxy Gas” depict nitrous oxide from other brands.)
And while the products themselves aren’t nefarious, the availability of different flavors can be a hit with kids, Saltz said.
The wrongful use of nitrous oxide products poses severe health risks, said a Galaxy Gas spokesperson in a statement.
“Galaxy Gas products are for responsible culinary use only, and we are deeply concerned about the recent news reports and social media posts of individuals illegally misusing our products,” the company spokesperson said. In the wake of this, Galaxy Gas has paused all sales of its whipped cream chargers as of this time.
The dangers of using nitrous oxide in the wrong way
The primary purpose of nitrous oxide is to be used in medical facilities, such as helping patients relax during dentist procedures Saltz said.
In this case, “it’s usually administered as a combination of oxygen with nitrous oxide, not pure nitrous oxide, and regulated under a setting,” Saltz explained. “It’s given in a slower manner … therefore it’s not obliterating the oxygen supply you would otherwise get. It’s also not a surge of it.”
However, breathing in short blasts of pure nitrous oxide, you are replacing your oxygen consumption. This can lead to loss of consciousness, heart attack, feeling sick, losing coordination headaches, nausea seizures, vomiting, Saltz said.
In the event of misuse, nitrous oxide can be fatal, and how the amount of exposure required to cause this to happen is determined by the amount and the individual.
It is important to educate your children about the dangers of substance misuse
Due to the risk there are, it’s essential that parents have ongoing and open conversations with kids about the misuse of nitrous oxide and substances all over the place, Saltz said.
“Most parents just think their kid doesn’t know or won’t discover, because that’s their wish,” Saltz added. “But in reality, by the time your child is teenager, there’s an overwhelming possibility that they’re being exposed to this, and they know as well as someone else is partaking. Therefore, it’s not wise to think, ‘If I don’t say anything, they won’t know about the issue and never come across the information.'”
Talking with them before the teens, instead of waiting until they are in high school — which is typical — is the best choice and will not lead youngsters to abuse substances, Saltz said.
Always begin with questions instead of a lecture that may cause kids to tune out, she added. Those can include: Have you heard about this? What do you think? how do you feel and think about it? What are you seeing on social media sites about this? Are your Facebook acquaintances engaging in this?
The conversation should be mutually engaging, but it is important to communicate your concerns and answer to those same questions, Saltz added. Make sure they are aware that the videos that they watch of teens having fun while putting laughing gas are only one part of the puzzle and don’t convey the harm these practices can cause, and even though those negative effects may not occur to everyone, it doesn’t mean it won’t happen for them. Encourage your child to talk with you before attempting something they’ve seen on the internet.
