State senate passes Addabbo bill banning whip-it sales to kids

State Sen. Joseph Addabbo sponsored a bill prohibiting the sale of whipped cream chargers to New Yorkers under 21. AP Photo/Mike Groll

By David Brand

The state senate has passed legislation that would ban the sale of nitrous oxide-filled whipped cream chargers to anyone under 21.

The gas inside the small canisters, known as “whip-its,” can be inhaled for a temporary, and at times deadly, high. The bill was sponsored by Queens State Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr..

“Young people buy and inhale this gas to get ‘high’ because they mistakenly believe it is a ‘safe’ substance,” Addabbo said. “Simply, inhaling nitrous oxide is not safe and we need to eliminate access to this dangerous substance being misused by younger residents.”

Addabbo said constituents have complained of empty whipped cream containers littering the district, which includes Ozone Park, Howard Beach and the Western portion of the Rockaway Peninsula.

The bill established a $250 fine for businesses or individuals found selling whipped cream chargers to people under 21. The fine is $500 for each subsequent offense.

“The piles of used whippits in our communities are not only an eyesore, but also indicative of a significant nitrous oxide abuse problem,” Addabbo said. 

The Assembly is now considering the bill.