Medfield’s school district warned parents and students about a viral TikTok trend that could be deadly in the most severe cases.
Galaxy Gas, a brand of canned Nitrous Oxide for culinary use, has taken social media by storm. Young adults can be seen inhaling the gas that causes lightheadedness, dizziness, and weakness.
Medfield’s Social Emotional Learning department said they haven’t dealt with a case at any district schools.
“A lot of this is preventative medicine,” said Dr. Dave Worthley, director of the Social Emotional Learning department.
He works daily with students at the high school to catch onto the latest trends.
He asks the student body questions like, “What kinds of stuff are you seeing online? What kinds of stuff are you exposed to? What do you see as far as your friends? What do you see in other communities?”
Dr. Worthley and the district issued a statement to parents this week about the TikTok trend that can cause long-term damage.
The statement about Galaxy read in part:
· It is easy to get.
· It is legal to purchase over 18
· It is technically for culinary purposes only
· It is being packaged in bright, fun colors and designs to appeal to kids
· It is in all area Vape shops
· It is extremely dangerous and can lead to brain injury, cardiac injury, and death.
· Galaxy Gas may have paused distribution (on Friday) but many other brands are selling Nitrous Oxide, and Vape shops, Walmart, and other places have lots of stock, as well as Amazon.
Worthley told Boston 25 Thursday, “I’ve had a lot of parent responses saying, ‘Thank you. I hadn’t heard of this. I never knew this existed. I’ll go home and talk to my kids right now.’”
David Richards, CEO of Fish Public Relations and a professor at Emerson College, said this is the latest of many social media trends.
“Parents are 10 steps behind,” he said.
Richards blamed young adults with easy access to social media as the root cause of the viral trend.
He added, “It’s exposing children to all kinds of issues and problems and bad behaviors.”
Galaxy Gas reportedly halted their sales Friday after the social media craze.
A statement on their website reads in part:
“Products containing nitrous oxide are sold solely as a food processing propellant for whipped cream and culinary food use only. It is unlawful for a person to purchase products containing nitrous oxide for any purpose not intended herein and legally authorized.”
The district is asking parents in Medfield and across the state to have tough conversations with their children to safeguard them from dangerous substances.
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