Queens Pol Wants To Ban Whippit Sales To Under-21s

QUEENS, NY — A Central Queens politician is proposing a ban on selling whippits — slang for the canisters of nitrous oxide used in whipped-cream dispensers — to people under 21.

State Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. has introduced a bill to limit sales of the nitrous oxide canisters, which can produce a high when inhaled.

Addabbo says his constituents are complaining about finding the empty canisters on the streets of his district, which stretches from Maspeth and Middle Village down to the Rockaways. If his bill passes, anyone who sells the whipped cream chargers to someone under 21 would get fined up to $500.

"These piles of used whippits in our communities are not only an eye sore, but may indicate a significant problem with nitrous oxide abuse," Addabbo said in a statement.

The 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that about 11.8 million survey participants reported doing whippits, according to Addabbo's office; doing whippits can lead to seizures, comas, frostbite, brain damage and nervous system disorders.

Addabbo’s bill is now under consideration by the State Senate Committee on Consumer Protection. The State Assembly's Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection is reviewing a companion bill.