No person that has ever lived wants to feel miserable, depressed, or sad. People may say it in different ways, but everyone wants to be happy and free from stress and problems. In an ideal world, everybody would get their fair share of laughter each day.
But this is reality, and in the place we live in, the opportunity to feel delight and peace of mind becomes smaller every minute until eventually, nothing will be left to feel happy about. In life, happiness is hard to come by—but perhaps only to people who don’t know where to look.
What are Whippets?
Whipped cream is one of the most versatile ingredients you could have in your kitchen. It isn’t just used for sundaes or shakes—you can also top cakes, pies, and many other desserts with this light and fluffy cream! Although whipped cream is a safe and delicious topping for many desserts, the device that dispenses it is far from harmless.
Whipped cream dispensers are one of the most common everyday objects abused by young people. But breathing in the whippets contained in steel canisters happens more commonly than you think! Steel canisters are legal in the United States and can be found in many homes, making them one of the most commonly abused substances in America.
Whippets are abused even more than gasoline, spray paint, and lighter fluid. Since the high they offer lasts for only two to three minutes, younger people don’t have to fear their parents noticing anything wrong.
If you find your teen with empty balloons, empty canisters, and steel cartridges, then they might have a whippet addiction problem.
How Teens Use Whippets
Nitrous oxide is safe when prescribed and is essential in relieving pain, but it can also alter the brain’s reward system, resulting in addiction when used in excess. Just like other inhalant drugs, whippets can be abused by covering a canister and their head with a bag or transferring the gas to a balloon and inhaling it front here.
Side Effects of Whippet Use
Teens like to use whippets as they give a euphoric feeling. While nitrous oxide does offer an exciting experience, it does have various side effects that many young people aren’t aware of, such as:
- Dizziness
- Hallucinations
- Impaired motor function
- Impaired brain function
- Heart problems
- Organ damage
- Psychiatric symptoms
- Nerve damage.
Long-Term Effects of Constant Whippet Use
Whippets may not be as dangerous as other inhalants like paint or glue that are toxic, but the constant inhalation of nitrous oxide is extremely risky and can lead to adverse health effects. Moreover, with long-term whippet abuse, those short moments of euphoria teens are chasing will eventually lead to lasting damage—or worse.
Since the gas prevents oxygen from reaching the brain and heart, it can cause more serious effects than nausea and dizziness, such as brain, heart, lung, and kidney damage. With long-term use, whippet abuse could lead to:
- Organ damage
- Permanent brain damage
- Respiratory complications
- Blood pressure loss
- Heart attack
- Paralysis
- Memory loss
- Recurring seizures
- Spinal cord damage
- Coma
- Balance issues.
The effects of whippet abuse are different for everyone, as the side effects will depend on a person’s weight, height, B12 levels, age, prior use, and other substance use. The risks will be heightened when whippets are mixed with different kinds of drugs and alcohol.
Whippets and alcohol simultaneously can cause confusion, limited concentration, and loss of control. Combining it with depressant drugs such as opiates or benzodiazepines will affect the heart, blood vessels, and breathing rate. Taking whippets with drugs or alcohol will most definitely lead to sudden death!
Vitamin B12 is essential to the nervous system, so when whippets significantly lower the B12 levels, it could lead to myeloneuropathy. Myeloneuropathy is characterized by damage to the spinal cords and peripheral nervous system, resulting in weakness of limbs, difficulty walking, and ataxia, which is a group of disorders that affect coordination, balance, and speech.
The Pursuit of Happiness
Happiness is an abstract and intangible concept—or is it?
The fact of the matter is that happiness can be produced; it is why the entertainment industry is worth billions of dollars. Screens and people, people through screens—many people find their joy in these two things. People want to be entertained, and countless companies work hard to produce happiness for their target audience.
Say what you will about entertainment, that it is simply an imaginative activity that serves as an escape from reality, but this keeps many people sane and alive. Sometimes, you need to transport yourself to another world, far from reality or routine to survive life, even if it isn’t real.
However, shows, idols, and movies aren’t only the places people find contentment and enjoyment. To some, they experience their happiness by consuming marijuana and many other kinds of drugs.
Addiction to Euphoria
There are many schools of thought centered on the concept of happiness and its cultivation. It is such an essential aspect of life that it is even at the core of various mindfulness practices and forms of entertainment. However, to some, it isn’t easy to achieve through just these methods.
Euphoria: a feeling of intense excitement and happiness. Some people experience this feeling by getting a perfect score on a test, riding on a rollercoaster, or successfully doing an activity for the first time. Euphoria is a natural reaction of the brain, but you can artificially produce it through drugs.
How People Get High
Besides exciting life events, sexual satisfaction, or achievements, you can also use drugs to provoke feelings of euphoria. The ability to trigger euphoria is one of the main reasons why people get high.
When you’re desperate enough for euphoria, you will try to find it in various places and substances, and your house products aren’t an exception.
Your house may not contain any heroin or marijuana, but a teen will still have a means of getting high through the other items in your home. If they can’t afford to buy street drugs, your teen can still experience euphoria by becoming intoxicated using the things around the house, such as:
Cough Syrup
Not everyone who takes cough medicines is sick—others want to experience euphoria and psychosis. They can induce a high when they drink enough of the cough syrup, as these medicines have dextromethorphan or DXM, which has hallucinogenic properties.
Markers
Permanent markers, like Sharpies or Expo markers, contain volatile solvents that many teenagers use as inhalants. Inhaling solvents, also known as huffing, can lead to adverse health effects, such as vital organ damage, limb spasms, heart failure, and more.
Whipped Cream Dispensers
Using a can of whipped cream is one of the most popular ways of getting high at home. Since whipped cream cans contain nitrous oxide—also known as whippets when used as a recreational drug—teens can inhale it to get high or feel drunk.
Conclusion
Inhaling whippets may not sound as dangerous as cocaine or heroin, but prolonged use can cause just as many damaging effects. Luckily, whippet abuse is treatable—many addiction centers can provide a safe space for detox and recovery from whippets. Therefore, if you suspect or find your teen abusing nitrous oxide, don’t hesitate to find a rehabilitation program immediately.
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