SZA says she convinced a child to throw away a canister of nitrous oxide in exchange for a photo.
In a post shared to Instagram Story on Tuesday (May 20), the singer described the ordeal.
“Literally talked a CHILD into throwing away his whippet drugs in exchange for a picture / video at the in n out drive through,” she wrote, along with a photo of a brightly colored canister of the controversial substance, commonly referred to as “whippets.”
“Sad but if I can stop this shit for even a second imma try. Once again these drugs are clearly marketed to CHILDREN. Really need America to do better man,” she added.
SZA’s post aligns with a broader concern over the rising abuse of Galaxy Gas, a brand known for selling whipped cream chargers that contain nitrous oxide, specifically for culinary use.
As explained by Complex’s Trace William Cowen, “Galaxy Gas” has become a popular term on social media, often used generically to describe all forms of nitrous oxide inhalants—despite disclaimers that such products are only for food preparation.
This isn’t the first time SZA has spoken out about the dangerous trend.
“Sorry to be old n annoying but.. Is no one gonna talk about how galaxy gas came out of no where and is being MASS marketed to black children? the government is doing NOTHING ? .. since when are we selling whip its at the store ???? Somebody protect the children,” SZA wrote last September.
She added, “Something about the childlike designs and marketing is so spooky like .. stars and bright colors? you tryna entice the kids on purpose ? Why when u google does it say it was founded in metro Atlanta in 2021 but no further info ...sumn tells me the owner looks like colonel sanders.”
Health experts have warned about the dangers of abusing nitrous oxide, which can lead to nerve damage, B12 deficiency, and in extreme cases, partial paralysis.
