FDA warns of misuse of laughing gas sold in colorful, flavored canisters

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.”

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