UPDATE: SEPT 2: A law in NY, which went into effect in November, prohibits the sale of the chargers used to dispense the sweet topping — not canned whipped cream itself — to people under 21.

In New York, a new law, passed in November, 2021, says that you have to be 21 to buy a whipped cream canister. The law went into effect in August. 

Are teenagers now getting fake IDs to whip out when they want to buy dessert topping?

It is a serious concern, however, that youngsters are using the canisters to get high from the nitrous oxide in the products. 

Inhaling the “laughing gas” causes a short happy high, but it can also cause low blood pressure, and even heart attack or death. It can lead to memory loss and mental illness.  When the gas is inhaled it produces feelings of euphoria, giddiness, hence its name, laughing gas. It can also cause auditory and visual hallucinations.

Teenagers call the inhalant, a recreational drug, a “whippet.”

Since the product has been easy to buy, whippets are now among the most abused drugs in the world. Many other localities have passed laws to restrict their sale to teenagers. 

If a supermarket or food chain sells the whipped cream charger to someone under 21, they can be fined $250, and more if there are repeated violations.

Since many big stores offer self-checkout nowadays, there has to be a system in place that flags the purchase of the canisters, and requires an employee or machine to check for an ID. 

Democratic State Senator Joseph Addabbo sponsored the law, after he learned about victims in his own district in Queens, New York. He received complaints from his constituents about the heavy use of nitrous oxide which had become a substance abuse problem. 

“Sadly, young people buy and inhale this gas to get ‘high’ because they mistakenly believe it is a ‘safe’ substance. This law will eliminate easy access to this dangerous substance for our youth,” Senator Addabbo said in a statement.

The question remains, will online retailers enforce the law? After all, it’s the 21st century. Stopping in a supermarket, grocery or convenience store is the quickest, but not the only option. There is also a huge supply online of canisters and nitrous oxide. Makes one wonder if it is possible to control the problem.