Shola Lee
You now need to be over 21 and show ID if you're looking to buy some whipped cream in New York.
Yep, fancy a decent hot chocolate? Well, if you're under 21 you better get creative because some stores across the state are stopping young customers from buying the delicious topping.
If you're wondering what prompted the ban it's nothing to do with the cream, but the canisters.
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You see, the nozzle in a whip cream canister is filled with nitrous oxide, which can get you a little high when inhaled. So, the state has banned youngsters from buying whip cream chargers.
Senator Joseph Addabbo stressed the dangers of inhaling the gas and the necessity to deter young people from using it.
The Senator said in a statement: "The need to limit the access and sale of whippits first became apparent after receiving constituent complaints about empty canisters on neighborhood streets. Used whippits piling up in our communities are not only an eye sore, but also indicative of a significant nitrous oxide abuse problem."
"Nitrous oxide is a legal chemical for legitimate professional use but when used improperly, it can be extremely lethal.
"Sadly, young people buy and inhale this gas to get ‘high’ because they mistakenly believe it is a ‘safe’ substance. This law will eliminate easy access to this dangerous substance for our youth," Addabbo went on to explain.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, one in five young people have used inhalants like whippits by the time they reach the eighth grade; hence the state is so keen to control the use of the substance.
Anyone caught selling whipped cream to those under 21 will receive a $250 fine for their first offence and a $500 fine for offences thereafter.
Now, if you're thinking that this restriction sounds familiar, it's because the bill was put into effect last year, but signs enforcing the ID check have only just started popping up.
Kent Sopris the head of the New York Association of Convenience Stores said that the delay in enforcement was likely because people weren't aware that the bill had been signed.
"We had been tracking the bill last year and when I looked in the bill tracking file, there is just no indication that it was signed," Sopris said.
So, if you're hoping to buy whipped cream in New York, you'll need to show some ID.
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