Sheriffs: Nitrous oxide, or whip-its, becoming popular in Los Angeles
Jim Judeikis, 29, of Baltimore, MD, inhales nitrous oxide outside the Tibet Freedom Concert 14 June at Robert F. Kennedy stadium in Washington, DC. / TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images
LOS ANGELES Los Angeles County authorities say the use of nitrous oxide has grown from a rave party drug to mainstream recreational use, fueled in part by social media.
They say the drug -- known as "noz," "whip-its," or "whippets" -- has spurred fatal car accidents, rapes and teen deaths, all in the name of a temporary high that lasts just a few minutes and costs just a few dollars.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials have zeroed in on the recreational use of the drug since September, cracking down on more than 350 illegal parties, nearly all of which were selling nitrous oxide, or "noz," spokesman Mike Parker said Thursday.
The operations are part of a new social media team set up by the department over the last six months to monitor and identify such illegal activities around the clock. The team has found that many of these public posts advertise alcohol and illegal drugs such as nitrous oxide and that their targets are teens.
"They're doing the social media equivalent of standing outside the front doors of a high school at 3 o'clock as school lets out with a megaphone announcing that there'll be drugs, noz and alcohol for children, and then handing out fliers to all the kids that are interested," Parker said.
Nitrous oxide is legal for dental work and is mixed with oxygen to produce "laughing gas." The food industry uses it in whipped cream container,s and it's used as a propellant for racecar drivers.
Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, explained to CBSNews.com that when people inhale the canister and siphon the gas -- often through a balloon -- they may experience an "out of body" state, with extreme euphoria.
But the drug can also be deadly. He noted that when given therapeutically, like in a dentist's office, nitrous oxide is given with oxygen because the gas displaces the oxygen, leading to buildup of carbon dioxide. High levels of carbon dioxide could lead to respiratory problems, sleepiness, loss of consciousness, seizures, or worse.
"If you are frequently abusing it, there is a chance you may pass out and not wake up," said Glatter.
Long-term use can lead to neurologic problems like numbness or tingling in the fingers and toes, with some evidence suggesting chronic abuse leads to formation of "dark holes" in brain tissue, associated with lack of oxygen and death of brain cells, he added.
The nitrous parties can be very lucrative for those provisioning them, officials said.
Sheriff's deputies are currently tracking one distributor who is making more than $60,000 a month in the bulk sale of nitrous oxide, said Sgt. Glenn Walsh who works in the Sheriff's Department's narcotics bureau. Sheriff's officials believe they have prevented a least 30 violent and sexual assaults in the last six months because of their efforts to shut down such nitrous oxide-related illegal parties before they happen.
One party was forced to change locations three times in one night, before finally moving outside of the Sheriff's jurisdiction, Parker said. But the department also notifies neighboring departments of the illegal parties when it spots them, he added.
Some of the hotspots are unincorporated Los Angeles county and the San Gabriel Valley, where parties are held primarily in homes and warehouses, Parker said.
Part of the problem for law enforcement officers going after the illegal use of nitrous oxide is that its distribution or use as a recreational drug is only a misdemeanor, officials said.
Sheriff's Lt. Rod Armalin said that the department is working on legislation to increase the penalties. He supervises the team that responds to many of these illegal parties and tries to prevent them from happening.
"Over the past year we've seen an increase in incidents," Armalin said. "It seems like it's really taken off with young people...They're openly advertising, `Hey we're going to sell nitrous oxide, and there are going to be children there,' and that's a concern."
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The article continues with, "Sheriff's officials believe they have prevented a least 30 violent and sexual assaults in the last six months because of their efforts to shut down such nitrous oxide-related illegal parties before they happen." without documenting WHY they believe they have prevented these crimes. The article presents zero evidence of these types of crimes having an association with the use of this (very legal) gas.
The article offers a quote: "If you are frequently abusing it, there is a chance you may pass out and not wake up," said Glatter. ...which is a supposition presented without fact. This is a claim of "...there is a chance..." without any concrete examples or science provided to support this.
We also learn that, "...use as a recreational drug is only a misdemeanor" which means this is a very minor offense. Why would law enforcement desire to increase the penalty? What is the goal?
While the article shares: "Long-term use can lead to neurologic problems like numbness or tingling in the fingers and toes, with some evidence suggesting chronic abuse leads to formation of "dark holes" in brain tissue, associated with lack of oxygen and death of brain cells, he added." ...we are not provided details, such as how much usage is considered "long-term" and "chronic abuse." It's also interesting that this sentence reads "can lead" rather than DOES lead - this is also supposition.
As I see it, this is an extremely minor problem that has been a part of our social culture since, at least, the 1970s and with zero negative impact on our society (at least, none documented). Can the recreational use of this gas be worse than hyper-consumption of caffeine? Or mass consumption of junk food? Or smoking a cigarette? This article describes a situation that suggests law enforcement attempting to broaden their reach to grasp success with a relatively minor issue rather than to pursue more important and egregious criminal activity. If law enforcement is concerned about the kids - educate them! Don't increase the penalties so you can arrest them!
I would also like to see more compelling information from the author of the article. This one is weak.
It may be beneficial of you to do your own research into the subject. You devoted a lot of time arguing, but provided no counter-evidence of your own to support your refutation. You also spent a great deal of time deconstructing the article with information that can be used to detail a fairly quick search of the subject.
It took me 15 seconds to find supporting evidence of all the claims in the article - from a paper done in 2006.
When articles provide "news", they've DONE the research. If you don't believe their assertions, it's up to you to refute them. This isn't a debate where each "side" must support what they say with evidence.
You can be "unconvinced", but you're also intellectually lazy to demand "evidence" of what the article claims. You can look that stuff up yourself. This is how people learn about things. Not from the news, but from looking into what the news reports for yourself.
Go hiking up in the mountains, breathe in the pine-scented air, observe the different kinds of trees and undergrowth. Spend a day out on the water in a boat. Look up at the sky, and let your imagination run wild from the different shapes of clouds floating by. Observe birds building a nest, or squirrels scampering through the trees. These are very cheap highs...and they're absolutely free with no side effects other than falling in love with life! Make the best of your life time here on Earth.
"Life is not a dress rehearsal."
~Rose Tremain