NITROUS-OXIDE USE FOR KICKS SEEN RISING

The evidence is spotty and anecdotal, but there's a growing sense that
more teenagers are turning to nitrous oxide as a cheap high.

One Boston supplier of restaurant equipment said he recently stopped
selling ''whippets,'' small bullet-shaped capsules of nitrous oxide
that are used to propel whipped cream onto desserts or special drinks.
He said young people would call asking for them, and he was sure they
didn't have business-related reasons for buying them.

''It came to my attention that kids were using them for reasons that
they are not intended for,'' said William Morrissey, vice president of
Eastern Bakers Supply in Boston.

Morrissey said he still has people asking for them, often teens and
young adults. By their general appearance, he said, ''It's obvious
they don't own a restaurant.''

Another Boston-area supplier, who asked to remain anonymous, said he
isn't eager to restock his supply of whippets, also known as ''cream
chargers.''

''I sort of stay away from it,'' he said. ''I'd get these calls from
people who just didn't sound right.''

Nationwide, the number of deaths associated with misuse of nitrous
oxide, also known as laughing gas, appears to be on the rise.

Carl Johnson, president of the Compressed Gas Association, a trade
group in Arlington, Va., that examines safety standards of nitrous
oxide and other gases, said he has recorded two or three deaths
annually during the past few years. So far in 1999, his organization
has tallied at least five fatalities.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in
Washington said the percentage of 18- to 25-year-olds who have used
nitrous oxide rose from 6.6 percent in 1997 to 7.9 percent in 1998.

While this week's death of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology
student appears to be linked to a 21/2-foot canister of nitrous oxide,
the origins of which remain unknown, there is mounting concern about
whippets because of their availability and low price.

Whippets cost from 50 cents to $1 apiece, according to local
suppliers. These bullet-shaped capsules are designed to be attached
to canisters, which are filled with the ingredients for whipped cream.

At JM Supply Briteway in Chelsea, employee Margie Solomon said her
firm sells a box of 24 whippets for $12.95. Another local
restaurant-supply store quoted a price of 10 whippets for $8. ''They
are very easy to get,'' Solomon said.

It's unclear if using nitrous oxide to get a high is against the law.
Local law enforcement officials said they can find no state law that
specifies nitrous oxide as a controlled substance, but that doesn't
necessarily mean people can use it with impunity. Recreational use
could still pose legal problems if authorities deemed the gas an
illegally obtained prescription drug.

The overwhelming majority of people who use nitrous oxide, however,
use it for legitimate medical purposes. Nearly 90 percent of nitrous
oxide is used for medical and dental anesthesia, according to the
Compressed Gas Association.

About 5 percent to 8 percent of nitrous oxide is used for food
processing. The gas can also be used in chemical research
experiments, as well as in the manufacturing of semi-conductor
circuits. Race-car drivers have also been known to add it to their
fuel, giving their cars an extra power boost.

Johnson said his association is working hard to curb the rise in the
use of nitrous oxide for a high. He said the association is pushing
for standards requiring proof that buyers have a legitimate reason to
use it. He said it's a challenge to come up with a good verification
system that keeps nitrous oxide in the right hands.

''There are a lot of legitimate uses of nitrous oxide, and they should
be preserved,'' he said.