Due to a product known as Galaxy Gas, videos of teenagers becoming light-headed, collapsing , and causing car accidents are gaining millions of views on social media.
Galaxy Gas is a canister intended for use in whipped cream, cocktails, and coffee that also contains flavored nitrous oxide , also referred to as whippets or laughing gas.
Unfortunately, individuals inhale gas, which affects the nervous system and provides a brief head rush and a euphoric sensation, according to WebMD. Teens have long since gravitated towards this sometimes easily accessible drug , but now their 'trips' have been documented as viral videos on TikTok.
As a result, Galaxy Gas has temporarily halted sales of its product.
The search term "Galaxy Gas" has been banned on TikTok due to its rising popularity. Users who attempt to search for it are redirected to a warning page that reads, "Be informed and aware. Some substances can be dangerous when used or misused. Learn more about how drugs, alcohol, and tobacco can affect your mind, body, and behavior."
One video circulating on the platform shows a group of teenagers in school passing around a canister of nitrous oxide, also known as Galaxy Gas. The product is sold in vibrant cans adorned with abstract designs.
In the video, a boy takes a hit from the canister and immediately stumbles against a wall before collapsing to the floor. He then gets up, laughing. Another clip features a different boy who falls to the ground instantly after inhaling from the canister, his speech slurred.
A third video captures a boy driving at high speeds while holding a nitrous oxide container. He fails to notice a parked vehicle ahead and crashes into it, causing the passengers in his car to scream.
The drug is also known by other names such as laughing gas (although it seldom causes laughter), nitro, nangs, nossies, hippy crack, and balloons. It's a common sight in nightclubs and music festivals.
The gas is tasteless and colorless. To consume an inhalant drug, one would inhale fumes from a closed source. They might cover their face and the canister with a bag or mask to inhale the whippets.
Alternatively, they could fill a balloon with the gas and inhale it from there. The high from whippets is fleeting. Therefore, many users "huff," or sniff, the fumes repeatedly after their initial high.
According to a 2022 survey from the U.S. government's Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 13.9 million Americans over the age of 12, or 4.9% of the U.S. population, have misused nitrous oxide. This represents an increase of over 1 million people from the 2021 survey.
There are no recent statistics on deaths related to laughing gas. However, according to a study by Yale doctors, there were 29 deaths in the US linked to nitrous oxide as of 2016.
In April 2024, an incident occurred in Oklahoma where a driver, Sutton Petz, was found unconscious behind the wheel, allegedly knocked out from inhaling nitrous oxide whippets. Her car crashed, resulting in the death of her 18 year old passenger, Maddix Bias.
Two months ago in the UK, a 12 year old boy was rushed to the hospital after inhaling a can of deodorant while participating in a dangerous social media challenge known as 'chroming.' Fortunately, he survived the ordeal.
However, not everyone has been so fortunate. Last year, a similar incident involving the 'chroming' challenge claimed the life of a teenage girl in Australia, who died after inhaling toxic chemicals from a container.
In response to these incidents, the social media platform involved has taken steps to redirect users searching for related terms to a page offering support for substance abuse and has banned the term "nitrous oxide."
Galaxy Gas, on its website, clearly states: "It is illegal to purposely inhale our product. By shopping on this website you agree to our Terms of Service. WE DO NOT CONDONE ILLEGAL USE OF OUR PRODUCTS. You must be over the age of 21 to view/order from this website. WARNING if used improperly or in ways not intended to be used such as inhaling, it can lead to hypoxia. DO NOT INHALE."
Galaxy Gas's website visitors receive a stark warning via a pop-up message saying: "It is unlawful for a person to purchase products containing nitrous oxide for any purpose not intended herein and legally authorized. By purchasing products containing nitrous oxide you expressly agree and warrant your possession and use shall be legally compliant and strictly limited to culinary food preparation as lawfully intended and for no other purpose. You acknowledge and agree this [is] a material condition for purchase of products containing nitrous oxide. Intentional misuse or inhalation of contents is prohibited and poses a serious health hazard."
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