The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning on Friday that advised consumers against inhaling nitrous oxide products such as Galaxy Gas, Baking Bad, Whip-it! and Miami Magic.
Recreational use of nitrous oxide as a party drug has long been prevalent, but whipped cream charger products such as Galaxy Gas have recently found a young and enthusiastic user base. Experimentation with an intentional misuse of the product has developed into a popular subgenre on social media, with widely shared videos of teenagers inhaling the gas from tubelike canisters of flavors like strawberry cream, tropical punch and vanilla cupcake. The videos have collected millions of views on TikTok, X and YouTube, despite attempts to limit searches for the product.
The name Galaxy Gas has caught on as a generic shorthand for these products, which the F.D.A.’s warning also says includes MassGass, Cosmic Gas, Hotwhip and InfusionMax. A wave of public concern has risen about the health dangers of these products, which are often sold in loud and colorful packaging that their critics say is appealing to teenagers and children. The F.D.A.’s advisory said the products could be purchased “at retailers, including, but not limited to: Amazon.com, eBay, Walmart, and at smoke/vape shops and gas stations.”
Advisories in the category of “Food, Beverages and Dietary Supplements” are not all that common, with the F.D.A.’s website only listing a handful in each year since 2021. In this case, the agency said it “has observed an increase in reports of adverse events after inhalation of nitrous oxide products.”
“The F.D.A. is warning consumers not to inhale or recreationally use any flavor of nitrous oxide in any size canister, tank or charger,” the advisory read. “When inhaled, these products can result in serious adverse health effects, including death.”
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The agency, which did not respond to a request for comment, said in the advisory that inhaling nitrous oxide, commonly known as whippets, can result in health problems such as blood clots, asphyxiation, frostbite and psychiatric disturbances. According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 13 million Americans have misused nitrous oxide in their lifetimes. Used as a recreational drug, the odorless and colorless gas can lead to feelings of relaxation and euphoria.
Britain banned recreational use and possession of nitrous oxide in 2023. Several U.S. states have laws banning the intentional misuse of the product, with some having laws preventing possession as well.
The original owners of the Galaxy Gas brand sold it to another company in the fall, and a message to the Galaxy Gas website seeking comment on the advisory was not immediately returned.
The website, which does not directly sell the nitrous oxide chargers but does feature an array of accessories for them, as well as branded merchandise including fanny packs, T-shirts and pot holders, has a disclaimer filled with warnings written partly in capital letters. One tells visitors, “It is illegal to purposely inhale our product.”