Whipping it

 

During a bicycle tour through California’s Humboldt County last summer, I noticed dozens of what I at first thought were CO2 containers littering the shoulder of Hwy 101.

Some cyclists use CO2 to fix flats.

CO2 canisters are also used to power pellet and paint-ball guns.

But it was hard for me to imagine cyclists or gun enthusiasts using that much CO2—and then casually tossing their empty canisters on the side of the road.

Ergo, I investigated and discovered that the canisters were not for CO2 but NO2.

NO2, or nitrous oxide, is legitimately used by dentists to ease patient anxieties, and the little NO2 canisters are sold to recharge larger cans of whipping cream.

But some drug abusers are now using the so-called laughing gas (or Whipit), available for purchase on Amazon, to get a quick high.

Not sure how big of a problem NO2 abuse is nationally. I’d never heard of it before my California visit.

But I did find the canister featured in the photos for this article while riding my bike in Falls Church VA this morning.

Just hoping that most abusers have enough sense not to overdo it, and certainly not to Whipit and drive.