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Tags: u21s | buy | whipped cream

It's Illegal for Under-21s to Buy Whipped Cream in New York

whipped cream canisters
(Dreamstime)

By    |   Friday, 26 August 2022 01:44 PM EDT

It's illegal for people under the age of 21 to purchase whipped cream in New York, and any store found in violation of the law could face a fine of up to $500.

Until recently, the legislation was unknown. But then a photo taken at a store in New York's Albany County began making the rounds. The image is of a sign that appears to be placed in front of a refrigerator door at a convenience store. According to WNBC, the sign reads that "effective 8/12/22 we will be IDing for whipped cream! Must be 21 years old!"

The canisters are being used as inhalants. The nitrous oxide (laughing gas) in the whipped cream canister can get a person high, a practice becoming increasingly common among teenagers, who even have a name for it: "whippits" or "whip-its."

"What makes them really popular is they're easily accessible," William Oswald, founder of the Summit Malibu drug treatment center, previously told ABC News. "You can get them at a head shop, you can get it out of a whipped cream bottle."

The potential side effects can be severe, Dr. Westley Clark, director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at SAMHSA, told ABC News. Inhaling nitrous oxide can cut off oxygen to the brain and result in severe effects on the body's cardiovascular system.

"What you're concerned about is heart effects, effects on their peripheral nervous system, effects on their organ system," said Clark.

New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo, from Queens, sponsored the New York law, which quietly took effect in November.

"This new law is an important step in combatting a significant problem for many neighborhoods throughout my district,” Addabbo said at the time the bill passed in fall of 2021. 

"The need to limit the access and sale of whippits first became apparent after receiving constituent complaints about empty canisters on neighborhood streets. Used whippits piling up in our communities are not only an eye sore, but also indicative of a significant nitrous oxide abuse problem."

Addabbo added that using nitrous oxide can be deadly.

"Sadly, young people buy and inhale this gas to get 'high' because they mistakenly believe it is a 'safe’ substance," Addabbo said. "This law will eliminate easy access to this dangerous substance for our youth."

Selling whipped cream canisters to someone under 21 comes with a $250 fine for the first offense and up to $500 for subsequent violations.

Zoe Papadakis

Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


TheWire
It's illegal for people under the age of 21 to purchase whipped cream in New York, and any store found in violation of the law could face a fine of up to $500.
u21s, buy, whipped cream
406
2022-44-26
Friday, 26 August 2022 01:44 PM
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