Sometimes, though, the products inhaled are a little more elitist than the mundane paint thinner. Interestingly enough, a dentist friend of ours returned to the office one Monday morning only to find that his entire cylinder of nitrous oxide was depleted. Thorough inspection revealed that the cylinder had not leaked, but it was evident the equipment had been tampered with. He deduced then that his oldest son must have had one great weekend party. Questioning the son, the dentist also learned that the boy and friends had been using inhalants for quite some time, the gateway product being whipping cream.
Whipping cream contains nitrous oxide as the propellant.
The dentist's son learned a valuable lesson from this experience. Other teenagers are not so lucky. Consider the 15 year old boy who was found unconscious in a backyard. According to three companions, the four of them had taken gas from a propane tank that was used to fuel a family's grill. They put the gas in a plastic bag and inhaled the fumes to get high.