Videos of teenagers getting dizzy, falling and crashing cars are circulating on social media and getting millions of views thanks to an extremely popular product called Galaxy Gas.
It’s a can of flavored nitrous oxide, also known as whippets or laughing gas, which is meant to be used in whipped cream, cocktails and coffee.
Instead, people are inhaling the gas, which acts on the nervous system and gives the user a euphoric, tingly sensation that lasts for a minute. In response, Galaxy Gas stopped sales of its product.
Dr. Sulagna Misra, a primary care physician, told DailyMail.com: ‘This issue is very concerning because the euphoria is temporary and is constantly being pursued, and the product is very affordable.’
She added that people can overdose and die from inhaling the gas because it steals oxygen from the brain and body. Nitrous oxide has claimed the lives of at least two dozen Americans.
Galaxy gas representatives told media outlets that their product is intended for culinary purposes only. As scrutiny has been brought to bear on the company in recent weeks, it has stopped selling its whipped cream cans
The death of John Schoenig (pictured), who died at a Penn State fraternity party held off campus in 2019, has been ruled accidental. He died from nitrous oxide inhalation, he was not connected to Galaxy Gas
Whippets have been the target of abuse for decades, but research from the Royal London hospital suggests it has been “rapidly increasing” in both the US and UK, and has become the seventh most popular drug in the world.
There are no recent reports on the number of deaths related to laughing gas. In 2016, the most recent data cited, there were 29 deaths in the US from nitrous oxide, according to a study by Yale doctors.
Atlanta-based Galaxy Gas has only been around since 2021.
A video of people inhaling nitrous oxide shows a group of teenagers passing around a can at school. The video’s caption says it’s Galaxy Gas, sold in brightly colored cans with abstract designs.
Immediately after receiving the blow, a boy falls against the wall, unsteady, before falling to the floor. He then laughs and gets up.
Another video shows a different boy who immediately falls to the ground after snorting from the can – his words slurred.
A third shows a boy driving at high speed with a container of nitrous oxide in his hands.
He apparently doesn’t see a vehicle parked on the shoulder in the distance and crashes into it while the car’s passengers scream.
In 2023, Ashley Broha returned home from work to find her fiancé, whose identity was withheld, dead. He was hooked up to a nitrous oxide tank.
A coroner’s report found the Louisiana man died from a lack of oxygen caused by nitrous oxide poisoning.
In 2019, a 17-year-old Pennsylvania high school student named John Schoenig died after inhaling nitrous oxide at a party. The gas stole oxygen from his body, stopping his heart.
Jenna Combel, a young woman from New Orleans, told Fox8 that she became addicted to nitrous oxide and ended up being hospitalized after the chemical caused her to lose feeling in her legs. She was unable to walk for months.
Social media was full of videos of people doing whiplash while friends stand and laugh as they fall to the ground, their voices change or they say something incoherent, but most of the images have been deleted from the sites.
When you search ‘Galaxy Gas’ on TikTok, a warning appears, saying: ‘Some substances can be dangerous when used or misused. Learn more about how drugs, alcohol and tobacco can affect your mind, body and behavior.’
Videos on social media show people inhaling gas and falling from above
When used without a doctor’s supervision, people tend to take in more nitrous oxide than they should – causing headaches, nausea, vomiting, agitation, low blood pressure, fainting, heart attack and nerve damage.
Children are particularly susceptible to some of the symptoms because their brains are still developing and can be permanently damaged by the gas, Dr. Migra said.
Inhaling too much at once can cut off the supply of oxygen to the brain and body – causing death.
Long-term use has been linked to an increased risk of depression, psychosis, memory loss, muscle spasms, numbness and immune system problems, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
As the gas can be used to make instant whipped cream, it is sold in supermarkets, gas stations and smoke shops across the country, completely legally, with no minimum purchasing age or identification required.
Most states have little or no product regulation, and even in those that do, it is sometimes possible for people to order products online.
Louisiana became the first state to ban the retail sale of nitrous oxide containers earlier this year. In 2023, New York banned the sale of cartridges to anyone under 21.
When nitrous oxide was discovered in the 1700s, doctors quickly made use of its calming and anesthetic properties – and it is still widely used in doctors’ offices today.
The gas affects the nervous system, producing feelings of relaxation, dizziness and tingling.
It takes effect quickly and wears off quickly, so in a medical setting, doctors carefully monitor the amount used.
When connected to a can full of cream, a tank of nitrous oxide creates an instant whipped product. But when not connected to any food, the tanks only dispense gas, which people can inhale. This photo from the Galaxy Gas website shows how to use the product correctly
In the 1930s, scientists discovered that using gas under pressure with cream could create instant whipped cream.
This has led to the loophole that exists today, where in many states it is legal to sell canisters of nitrous oxide without restrictions if the products are manufactured for culinary purposes.
Since then, laughing gas abuse has “rapidly increased.”
Public figures such as rapper Skrilla have openly used nitrous oxide. The Atlanta native pulled out a gas canister during a 2024 interview with YouTuber Adam Grandmaison, and the pair passed it back and forth, appearing to inhale the gas behind a blurred logo.
It’s unclear which brand the rapper and YouTuber were using.
As such, many companies have emerged to satisfy demand – Galaxy Gas is just one of many nitrous oxide products sold under the culinary umbrella. Others include Elitegas, GreatWhip and Boosted.
A disclaimer that appears upon entering the Galaxy Gas website says: “Products containing nitrous oxide are sold only as a food processing propellant for whipped cream and for culinary use only.”
In response to recent reports, the company stated: “Galaxy Gas products are intended for responsible culinary use only and we are deeply concerned about recent news reports and social media posts from individuals illegally using our products.”
However, critics of nitrous oxide products, like New York Senator Joe Addabbo, say these companies don’t have as many guardrails as they should.
Sen Addabbo told Fox8: ‘They know exactly what they are doing and they don’t market to 16-year-old bakers. No. They are using it for the other use of nitrous oxide, the illegal use.
‘We have a national problem. [Nitrous oxide is] accessible, cheap. It’s available, it’s easy to use and I think it should get national attention.’
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