New Drug Abuse Alert : 6 Facts About Whippit Abuse

Whippits, sometimes spelled whippets or whip-its, are cartridges of nitrous oxide used to charge whipped cream dispensers. Nitrous oxide is sometimes called laughing gas because of its euphoric effects. It’s used medically to relieve pain. It’s also used as a preservative and propellant in whipped cream dispensers. Some people misuse whippits to get high. Like other inhalants, nitrous oxide can cause serious side effects, including addiction.Reusable whipped cream dispensers are recharged with small metal containers filled with nitrous oxide. The containers, also known as chargers, can be purchased online or over the counter, and they’re sometimes misused to get high.

Inhaling nitrous oxide directly from a whippit or canister is difficult because the gas exits the container quickly. Nitrous oxide can rush into the lungs, causing significant damage. It can also cause frostbite because the gas gets extremely cold when it leaves a pressurized container. Filling a balloon with nitrous oxide allows the gas to warm up, and it gives people some control of how quickly it’s released into the mouth. Those reasons explain why huffing and other forms of inhalant use are uncommon with nitrous oxide. Empty balloons and balloons smelling of strange chemicals are signs of inhalant abuse. Finding devices called crackers is another sign of whippit abuse. Crackers are small metal objects used for opening nitrous oxide canisters. The objects can be purchased legally online, but their only purpose is to open gas canisters

Now this practice is fast becoming the new trend and here are 6 hard facts about this form of abuse .

1. Whippits, Whippets and Whip-Its Are the Same Drug

Whippits is the street name for a nitrous oxide charger. The name is likely related to the charger’s intended purpose — to refill whipped cream dispensers.

Different people and organizations spell the term differently. When referring to nitrous oxide chargers, whippits, whippets and whip-its mean the same thing.

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2. Nitrous Oxide Is Safe for Medical Use

When inhaled, nitrous oxide causes dizziness, pain relief and a floating sensation. It’s commonly used during oral surgery.

When administered by a health professional, nitrous oxide is considered safe. The health provider monitors and controls the dose the patient receives. The risky side effects of the drug aren’t associated with medical doses, according to Columbia University.

3. Whippits Don’t Cause the Same High as Most Other Drugs

Most drugs make people feel high by overwhelming the brain’s pleasure system. But whippits and other inhalants don’t affect the brain’s pleasure system in the same way.

Inhalant abuse deprives the brain of oxygen. This causes a head rush or a floating feeling. Nitrous oxide can cause laughter or dizziness, but it isn’t the same high as that of other common recreational drugs.

4. Misusing Whippits Can Kill You

High doses of whippits can cause life-threatening effects, including seizure, coma and sudden sniffing death syndrome. The latter condition occurs when the heart stops beating during inhalant abuse.

People who use inhalants have also choked on vomit or experienced accidental injuries while under the influence of the drugs.

5. Whippits Cause Serious Organ Damage

In addition to the immediate risks of using whippits, repeated use can cause permanent organ damage. The chemicals in inhalants damage the brain and nervous system. This causes problems related to thinking, moving, seeing and hearing, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Long-term effects of inhalants also include damage to the lungs, heart, kidneys and liver.

6. Nitrous Oxide Can Be Addictive

Addiction to inhalants isn’t common, but it does occur. Addiction is a disease that causes people to abuse drugs despite knowing the negative consequences. Some people rely on whippits for stress relief. Others become addicted to the buzz caused by nitrous oxide.

Nitrous oxide can also cause withdrawal symptoms when a person reduces or stops their use of the drug. Experiencing withdrawal is a sign of dependence.