What parents need to know

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts (WGGB/WSHM) — Drug abuse is unfortunately nothing new, especially among teenagers, but recently there has been a new twist on an old method of getting high.

This is done with a product called “Galaxy Gas,” and even if you’ve never heard of it, there’s a good chance your kids have heard of it.

It is nothing new for teenagers to follow the latest trends, and the abuse of laughing gas or nitrous oxide to get high is nothing new either.

Traditionally called “whippets” because of the gas contained in cans of whipped cream, now teenagers are abusing a new product called “Galaxy Gas.”

“It's on my radar, but I didn't find out about it until recently,” Amanda Lennox, coordinator of the West Springfield Care Coalition, told us. “We have a health teacher here named Dena Polverari, and she's very open to me coming to her kids and talking about what's hot. So I went to talk to them about fentanyl, and she said, 'Hey, FYI, do you know about Galaxy Gas?' and I said, 'No,' so I immediately Googled it and was like, 'Oh, they're whippets,' and I said, 'No big deal,' and she was like, 'Big deal right now,' because everyone's talking about it.

Lennox works closely with high school students like 11th graders Kush Desai and Quinlan Kearney, both of whom are mentors.

They told us that Galaxy Gas was well known among students their age.

“With galaxy gas, it’s that rush that people are looking for,” Kearney explained.

“I've seen a lot of it on social media, especially on TikTok and Instagram and so on,” Desai added.

In case you haven't seen the many videos, Galaxy Gas is the name of a company based in the Atlanta area.

Their products include nitrous oxide gas cartridges intended exclusively for culinary use, such as cold brewed coffee and desserts.

In light of recent abuse, particularly among children, the company released a statement saying, in part:

“Galaxy Gas products are intended for responsible culinary use only and we are deeply concerned about recent news reports and social media posts of individuals illegally misusing our products.”

For Lennox, staying one step ahead of this latest and potentially deadly trend of inhaling Galaxy Gas isn't easy.

She knows the same is true for parents of teenagers.

“People make it seem like it's so much fun, so why wouldn't they try it? I think parents just need to do their best to stay informed and keep the lines of communication open so that if something comes up, you can say, 'Where did that come from? I don't think that's good for you,' and just be curious when you talk to them.”

Please note that Galaxy Gas strictly prohibits the sale of its products for unlawful use, misuse, or attraction to children.

The company has also suspended the sale of all cream chargers for the time being.

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