Whippet Usage Still Prevalent Among New York Youth

The feeling of using whippets has been described in a myriad of ways: living in a daydream, hearing the “whomp-whomps” of a helicopter flying above your head, and feeling frozen in time. State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., who represents a wide swath of Central Queens, was first made aware that whippets were being done in his district in 2019 after he received around a dozen calls from concerned residents.

“I've seen piles of canisters on a crosswalk, so kids aren't hiding it,” Addabbo said, referencing whippet use in his district. “Kids go into a corner and just do it there. But even a local police officer couldn't do anything about it, it’s totally legal.”

Nitrous oxide was discovered by scientist Joseph Priestly in 1772. Now, it’s used as an anesthetic during dental surgery, medical emergencies, and childbirth. It’s also used as a recreational drug, often referred to as “whippets,” “nos,” or “hippy crack,” by festival-goers and teenagers looking for a 30-second high. Used by New York youth from as young as 8th grade, Addabbo sponsored legislation in April 2019 to try to curb the use of the whippets by minors.

Whippets are inhalants, a drug category that includes solvents, aerosol sprays, gases, and nitrites. Two devices are most commonly used to inhale Nitrous Oxide—a cracker that allows the gas to fill a balloon, or an empty whipped cream dispenser used to inhale the gas directly or to fill a balloon to avoid direct contact with the freezing cold gas.

Anna L., a 34-year-old Brooklyn-based filmmaker and writer, who asked that her name not be used to avoid being professionally linked to drug use said that, before the pandemic, she would buy whippets at events in and around the city for around $2 to $5.

“I bought [balloon fulls] at parties from people who have tanks,” Anna L. said. “Music festivals, warehouse parties, and art warehouse events.”

Cheryl Alter, a social worker at Odyssey House, which provides counseling to New Yorkers seeking to recover from drug and alcohol misuse, says the nature of the drug makes it attractive to younger users.

“Whippets tend to be more common in younger kids because they’re more of a party drug and they don’t last long,” Alter said. “It’s a euphoric high, which teens tend to prefer to the longer, heavy highs that come from drugs like heroin.”

The drug’s short high makes it even more dangerous as it encourages users to constantly use it in a chase for a high, explained Peter Grayson, the executive director of Big Vision NYC, a community where youth can connect in the absence of drugs and alcohol.

“Not only does it produce euphoria from a dopamine release, but it also restricts blood flow to the brain, which is kind of like asphyxiation,” Grayson said. “So you can really sustain some brain damage.”

The use of inhalants is most common in 8th graders, according to a 2020 National Institute on Drug Abuse report. Simona Combi, a NIDA spokesperson said inhalant use among teenagers increased from 9.5% in 2019 to 12.6% in 2020. This number is rising during COVID as drug usage and overdoses have increased. Combi states that national data does not specify which types of inhalants are being used.

Evan Frost, a spokesperson with the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports said that, while the department is aware of inhalant use in New York, especially among teens, “There is no current New York-specific data available related to inhalant use,” Frost said. “Since these are not considered illegal substances, we do not track where they are being purchased.”

While some states have various regulations on the sale and consumption of nitrous oxide, New York is not one of them. In looking to diminish whippet use among minors, the state senate passed Addabbo’s Senate Bill 5151 in July 2020, which would have prohibited the sale of whipped cream chargers to those under the age of 21. This January, the bill was reintroduced as Senate Bill S2819 and is currently in committee.

According to Addabbo, the issue was brought to his attention by Queens residents after they found that three areas in his district were inundated with empty whipped cream canisters, two out of the three spots near small grocery stores that sold the canisters, one with roughly 25 in a pile right outside the storefront.

For Addabbo, the most concerning aspect of the sale of whippets is how they’re marketed to minors.

“Look at the color,” Addabbo said. “This isn’t a dull grey or silver, they’re neon colors that are attractive colors to a younger resident... Those manufacturers know what their target consumer is. It’s not the baker, it's the young kid trying to get a quick high that could wind up with brain damage.”

An anonymous survey of 163 New Yorkers found that people are more likely to buy whipped cream chargers online than in person (58.3%). Of the 163 respondents, 69.3% said they knew someone who has done whippets and 44.2% said they have done whippets.

In New York City, whipped cream chargers can be purchased from bodegas and head shops in all five boroughs, either in person or online through third-party delivery services like Postmates, Grubhub, and Uber Eats. Some of these shops include A to Z Pharmacy By Village Farm, B & G Grocery, Deli & Convenience, Beer, Smoke, Gift & Convenience, East Village Beer & Grocery, Good Nature, and T & A Gourmet Deli & Grill. What’s most surprising is that some of these shops sell not only the chargers, but punch balloons to use them with, both of which do not require ID to purchase.

“It’s extremely concerning that kids can get whippets delivered to their house,” Alter said. “It’s accessible and it’s legal, making it easy for kids to use them even though they’re so harmful to developing brains.”

Whippets are also relatively cheap. On Amazon a pack of 24 whipped cream chargers can be delivered in one or two days for as low as $20 or around $200 for 600, making each charger only $.33 each. Bodegas that sell whippets in person and through delivery services don’t offer the same low bulk prices as sites like Amazon, selling a pack of 24 for around $20; those can be delivered in a few hours.

For Grayson, just because the drug is an easily accessible household item, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. A survey respondent, who is an international student living in New York City, said they witnessed someone getting injured while inhaling nitrous oxide.

“It was their first time doing them,” the respondent wrote. “They stood up too quickly after taking a hit. Fell through a window. Got some deep cuts really close to an artery on their neck.”

In addition to speaking about the issue in community board meetings and in civic meetings, Addabbo hopes legislation will help decrease the use of whippets among youth.

“It’s about awareness,” Addabbo said. “With any piece of legislation there's an educational part just to get the issue out there. So even if the legislation never passes, we have an issue that’s out there so parents can hear about it and be more aware.”