Turns Out, New Yorkers Are Being Carded for Buying Canned Whipped Cream

A New York state law is hitting the headlines as store owners are reportedly carding customers for buying canned whipped cream.

Originally, the Addabbo Bill was simply intended to curb the abuse of nitrous oxide among teenagers by restricting the sale of whipped cream chargers. "Whipped cream chargers are filled with nitrous oxide which is often referred to as ‘laughing gas’ and popularly used as an over-the-counter inhalant because of its euphoric effects" he stated in the legislative memo. However, the rules of its enforcement were widely misinterpreted, prompting retailers to require identification before purchase.

Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr., the state senator behind the law, said that people of all ages should still be allowed to purchase whipped cream. He also clarified that this bill specifically focuses on the sale of the cartridges used to dispense the sweet topping and not the whipped cream itself. "My bill is not intended to prevent people under the age of 21 from buying whipped cream dispensers, but the small, individual charger or cartridge inside the whipped cream canisters," Addabbo stated in a tweet.

The law, which went into effect in November, aims to protect youth from the dangers of the lethal chemical. Inhaling this gas can lead to several health problems such as hearing loss, liver and kidney damage, limb spasms, central nervous system or brain damage, bone marrow damage, heart failure and even suffocation.