“I think someone from PR needs a tip-off.”
A number of commenters on the post said there was no issue with this, noting their uses in cooking and baking.
“I’m confused about what the issue is? They actually have a legitimate use. I use them myself for cream,” said one person.
“Am I missing something? You actually do need these to create whipped cream in the commercial hospitality graded canisters. Not everywhere use the pre-charged aerosols?” another asked.
These nitrous oxide cartridges may be intended for use in kitchens, but they can also be abused and used as a recreational drug known colloquially as “nangs”.
The chemical compound, commonly known as laughing gas, induces short-term euphoric effects when inhaled and has spiked in usage since the pandemic.
However, regular use can lead to a stream of negative side effects including dizziness, weakness in the legs and impaired memory.
Nitrous oxide cartridges may be used as a recreational drug known colloquially as “nangs”. Photo / Andrew Warner
Use of the substance, most commonly used among 16-24-year-olds, has become such a widespread issue one neurologist warned it is “more dangerous than cocaine”.
For this reason, shoppers were alarmed to see the product available on the recently launched Kmart Marketplace, a new platform that enables third parties to sell products directly to the budget retailer’s shoppers.
“This is so freakin’ sad man,” one commenter said.
“Wow this is wild,” another agreed.
“Surely not …” said a third.
“Budget nangs anyone? This is so bad, Kmart,” said another.
Many were specifically concerned about how accessible it makes the “dangerous” product for young people – the primary demographic of users.
“The only thing this does is make it even more accessible for young ones to put their lives at risk,” said one person.
“Okay so now people can get nangs from Kmart, gotcha. I know a 16-year-old who does them. Making it a whole lot easier,” another agreed.
A video showing a shopper searching for the item and finding it on the Kmart Marketplace was seen by news.com.au.
But at the time of writing, the charger bulbs were no longer available and appeared to have been removed.
Kmart declined to comment.
Drug safety
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