What is 'Galaxy Gas?' Shelby County deputies say it's addictive and deadly
One of the bills Alabama lawmakers will be discussing during this legislative session involves a legal gas many young people are using to get high. It's basically the laughing gas some people get during dental visits.
When it's abused, it can give users a euphoric high rush that lasts a few minutes. It can be addictive and deadly. Police say it's time to take action to keep this dangerous product out of children's hands.
>> YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD: Community coverage from 米兰体育 13
The most common name is galaxy gas. You can find it at many vape shops, CBD stores and gas stations. And you can see it being abused in videos on YouTube and social media, often by children and teens. Lieutenant Shane Plyler is with the Shelby County Sheriff鈥檚 Department.
鈥淭hey laugh and think it's funny, but at the same time, it's killing your brain cells, and it's very dangerous. It's more dangerous sometimes than some of the harder drugs because of how it kills brain cells so quickly," Plyler said.
Last year in Shelby County, six people died from abusing nitrous oxide, and it may have been connected to four other deaths. That's a sharp increase from the year before. But inhalant abuse is not new, sometimes referred to as huffing rush, whippets, poppers or snappers. It is legitimately used by medical professionals and in culinary settings. But with the brightly colored labels and packaging, police told us it's clearly being marketed to young people.
鈥淥bviously, they put on the label, 鈥榙o not inhale鈥�, but they're selling it to vape shops and gas stations and sitting on the countertop next to candy bars and vapes with the obvious purpose of, 'hey, somebody is going to inhale it because it smells good and tastes good,'" Plyler said.
>> FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL: | | |
St. Sen. April is hoping to make it more difficult to get and abuse these products. She鈥檚 proposed a that would regulate the possession and sale of these gases.
She took some of the gas canisters to Montgomery to show to her fellow lawmakers as local law enforcement urged them to take action. Jamelle Allen is with the Hoover Police Department.
鈥淲e have to take a stand, Alabama, to protect our residents, protect our youth. You know, these companies, they're making a profit and our children are losing due to it. So, we have to take a stand and put an end to this while we can," Allen said.