A Whipped Cream High Can Get You a DUI in Tennessee
According to Franklin police, Anna Thomas, age 28 was charged with DUI after crashing her SUV into a mailbox on Battle Avenue. Ms. Thomas had allegedly inhaled the nitrous oxide from 13 cans of whipped cream to get high and then got behind the wheel at 9:00am on Wednesday, June 3rd. Ms. Thomas had allegedly run her vehicle into a ditch and then crashed into and overturned a mailbox.
Franklin police found Ms. Thomas “extremely disoriented” after the crash. A search of her vehicle found the 13 empty cans of whipped cream topping. She was taken to the hospital for treatment according to wjhl.com.
Whip-its, nitrous oxide and other inhalants
In Tennessee, inhaling anything with the intention to het high is a crime. Inhaling, selling, giving or possessing glue, paint, gasoline, aerosol, gases, etc., for unlawful purposes is a Class A misdemeanor. Selling, offering to sell, or giving away a substance that contains toxic vapors or fumes for the purposes of getting high is a Class E felony.
In the cans of whipped cream there is a gas called nitrous oxide that forces the whipped cream out of the can and onto your dessert. When inhaled, it can produce a high that lasts for 30 to 45 seconds. While it is legal to own nitrous oxide it is illegal to inhale it in order to get high. Giving another person a can of whipped cream for the purpose of getting high is also illegal.
After actress Demi Moore’s much publicized overdose in 2012 from using inhalants, the use of whip-its and other inhalants have grown in popularity. In 2012, 719,000 people over age 12 admitted to using some form of inhalant within the past 12 month period. Whip-its are easy to find in any convenience store or grocery store, which accounts for the fact that inhalants are in 4th place behind alcohol, tobacco and marijuana as an abused substance.
Health problems caused by abusing inhalants
The fact that whip-its are illegal is just one of the problems that can come from abusing inhalants as they can cause nerve damage, kidney and liver damage, loss of consciousness ad injury to the throat and mouth.
So, the takeaway here is that even something as “silly” inhaling whipped topping and getting giddy and dizzy afterwards might sound like harmless fun, it can absolutely kill you. If you are using inhalants while you are driving, you put other people’s lives at risk, too.
If you have been charged with a drug crime you may want to schedule a consultation with one of the drug crimes attorneys at the Law Offices of Adrian H. Altshuler & Associates who will discuss your case and advise you of your legal options.