Throughout the 21st century, teens and young adults have experimented with various ways to impair the brain. Originally, in the early 2010s, computer duster and nutmeg allowed teens to achieve their desired euphoria. This year, the U.S. faces a new method of impairment that brings almost no positives. Sold as an alleged whipped cream charger, Galaxy Gas quickly spread its offered products across all of the U.S. Found in corner stores and Costcos, Galaxy Gas sells alongside black and milds, swisher sweets and Juuls and other forms of mental impairment.
Founded in 2021 in Kennesaw, Georgia, the Galaxy Gas company avidly shares culinary ideas and recipes to push the idea of Galaxy Gas’ purpose. The basic ingredient of Galaxy Gas, nitrous oxide, requires encasement in a stainless steel canister. The nitrous oxide used in Galaxy Gas contains a common name, laughing gas, found at any local dentist or orthodontist. According to the National Library of Medicine, the common effects of nitrous oxide include transient dizziness, dissociation, disorientation, loss of balance, impaired memory and cognition and weakness in the legs. When used as a sedative, nitrous oxide poses no apparent risks when used in a medical manner, however, prolonged exposure will lead to vitamin B12 deficiency, dizziness, impairment of memory, and overuse may lead to death by asphyxia.
“Nitrous oxide is sometimes misused recreationally for its euphoric, pleasurable and hallucinogenic effects. However, inhaling nitrous oxide outside of medical settings can be dangerous and even deadly, particularly when used heavily. Although it’s not common, repeated use of inhalants like nitrous oxide and whippets can also result in addiction or substance use disorder,” independent social worker Madeline Hodgman-Korth of the American Addiction Center said.
Galaxy Gas avidly supports its bold disclaimers to avoid inhaling nitrous oxide, working towards being a valued countermeasure. Unfortunately, the bold statements of steering clear from inhaling nitrous oxide only serve as legal mitigation from any responsibility for cases of death or severe injury. Flavors such as watermelon lemonade, tropical punch and strawberry cream, as well as inhalation nozzle packaging, leave a concerned citizen questioning if the company’s countless consumers purchase the tanks for whipped cream infusion.
Recreational and commercial use of nitrous oxide became popularized during the early summer of 2024, initially beginning in Atlanta, Georgia and quickly expanding across the U.S. With countless consumers including famous athletes, actors, musicians and the American youth, nitrous oxide’s clutches spread through all of America. Nitrous oxide consumption acts through mediation including balloons, canisters and nasal tubes linking to large mechanisms.
Nitrous oxide’s saddest cases of addiction fall to 24-time Grammy winner Kanye West. After receiving titanium dentures from his dentist and owner of Diamond Dentistry, Thomas Connelly, West became hooked on nitrous and relied on Connelly for additional tanks. Meanwhile, Connelly pushes for the legalization of nitrous.
“[The mobile nitrous oxide tanks for recreational use] stand about ten inches, [and use an] Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated handheld nitrous oxide personal use system. I loaded the AI with some real N202 images and it spit this out. This needs to be a long-term goal: get recreational nitrous legalized. Meanwhile, we master the delivery system with a two-year head start,” Connelly said.
West does not stray from sharing his usage of nitrous, posting clips in response to other celebrities with nasal tubes attached. Despite numerous pleas from fans encouraging West to quit nitrous, the pleas seem to fall on deaf ears. In response to West’s stubbornness to stop, the fans established the hashtag #SaveYe, spreading it around the internet.
Despite the heavy debate on Galaxy Gas’ direct impact on the nitrous epidemic spreading through the U.S., the recreational sale of nitrous oxide should require heavy regulation and age limits to prevent abuse of such a dangerous gas. People’s ignorance to indulge in pointless risky drugs needs correction to ensure a better life for many. While the public jokes and laughs at the usage, the abuse of nitrous oxide will lead to countless more deaths in the coming future.
“I think using it [Galaxy Gas] to get high is just stupid. It’s just taking oxygen from your brain for like 30 seconds and you don’t even feel it. It just damages your brain and the long-term negative effects outweigh what you get from it,” junior Marcus McAdams says.
