The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning on Friday that advised consumers against inhaling nitrogen oxide products such as Galaxy Gas, Baking Bad, Whip-IT! and Miami Magic.
Recreational use of nitrogen oxide as a party drug has long been common, but whipped cream charger products such as Galaxy Gas have recently found a young and enthusiastic user base. Experimenting with a deliberate abuse of the product has developed into a popular subgenre on social media, with many shared videos from teenagers inhaling the gas from tubelike buses of flavors such as strawberry rème, tropical punch and vanilla cupcake. The videos have collected millions of views on Tiktok, X and YouTube, despite attempts to limit searches to the product.
The name Galaxy Gas was taken care of as a generic steno for these products, the warning from the FDA also says, includes Massgass, Cosmic Gas, Hotwhip and InfusionMax. A wave of public concern has risen on the health hazards of these products, which are often sold in loud and colorful packaging that their critics say they are attractive to teenagers and children. The FDA's advice said that the products could be purchased “from retailers, including, but not limited to: Amazon.com, eBay, Walmart and at Smoke/Vape stores and gas stations.”
Advice in the “Food, Drinks and Dietary Supplements” category are not as common, with the FDA website listing a handful of every year only since 2021. In this case, the agency said that “an increase in reports of side effects has observed after inhalation of nitrogen oxide products.”
“The FDA warns consumers not to inhale any taste of nitrogen oxide or to use it in any size, tank or charger,” was the advice. “When they are inhaled, these products can lead to serious adverse health effects, including death.”
The agency, which did not respond to a request for comment, said in the advice that inhaling nitrogen oxide, generally known as Whippets, can lead to health problems such as blood clots, suffocation, freezing, psychiatric disruptions. According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 13 million Americans have abused nitrogen oxide in their lives. Used as a recreational medicine, the odorless and colorless gas can lead to feelings of relaxation and euphoria.
Great -Britain forbade recreational use and possession of nitrogen oxide in 2023. Various American states have laws that prohibit the deliberate abuse of the product, whereby some also have laws that occur.
The original owners of the Galaxy Gas brand sold it to another company in the fall, and a message to the Galaxy Gas website that sought comments on the advice was not immediately returned.
The website, which does not directly sell the nitrogen oxide chargers, but has a range of accessories for them, as well as brand merchandise, including Fanny Packs, T-shirts and pot holders, has a disclaimer filled with warnings that are partially written in capital letters. People say to visitors: “It is illegal to deliberately breathe in our product.”
