New York made it illegal to sell canned whipped cream to individuals under 21

A new state law in New York makes it illegal for anyone under 21 to purchase a can of whipped cream.

This week several stores around the state have started to ID shoppers who want to buy a can of whipped cream, after a law was passed last November. The law is meant to prevent teenagers from using canned whipped cream to inhale nitrous oxide or laughing gas. The gas can be inhaled by discharging nitrous gas cartridges known as whippets, which are found inside the cream dispensers.

"Inhalants are invisible, volatile substances found in common household products that produce chemical vapors that are inhaled to induce psychoactive or mind-altering effects," according to a US Drug Enforcement Administration factsheet.

According to the DEA, 1 in every 5 young people have used inhalants like whippets before they reach the eighth grade. The consumption of this kind of drug can "cause damage to the parts of the brain that control thinking, moving, vision, and hearing."

The bill was sponsored by Democratic state Senator Joseph Addabbo, who sponsored the law after receiving several complaints of empty canisters littering the streets.

"The need to limit the access and sale of [whippets] first became apparent [to me] after [I had been] receiving constituent complaints about empty canisters on neighborhood streets. Used [whippets] pilling up in our communities are not only an eyesore but also indicative of a significant nitrous oxide abuse problem," said Addabbo when the law passed last fall.

Stores that sell whipped cream canisters to customers under 21 comes with a $250 fine for the first offense, with additional fines of up to $500 for additional violations.