What Is 'Galaxy Gas' And What's Up With TikToks Saying 'My Name Lil T Man'? The Dangerous Nitrous Oxide Whippets Trend Explained

If you thought chroming was the most dangerous trend to come out of recent years, you probably haven't heard about the nitrous oxide epidemic that has seemingly gripped young people nationwide.

Typically known by the slang term "whippets" domestically and "nangs" or "cannies" across the pond, nitrous oxide is a substance that has gone from being used as a dental anesthetic to being used to make whipped cream to being misused entirely by people chasing a brief but ultimately damaging high.

Discussions about nitrous oxide misuse are now at an all-time high, just weeks after major news outlets reported that rapper Kanye West may be coping with a nitrous gas addiction enabled in part by his dentist.

To make matters worse, brands like Galaxy Gas have started to advertise candy-flavored nitrous gas canisters, ostensibly for making whipped cream, but often used by young men to get high and post about it online.

Here's a look at the Galaxy Gas Whippets trend that's taking off online.

Where Are Whippets, And When Did Galaxy Gas First Start Advertising Their Product Online?

Nitrous oxide is a gas typically used by doctors as a kind of anesthetic. Also called "laughing gas," the substance provides a brief euphoric or relaxed high when inhaled, which is why it is preferred by dentists to calm down or knock out nervous patients.

Nitrous oxide is often sold in small quantities to make whipped cream or to be used in auto parts, both online and in grocery stores. This easy availability of the substance has led to widespread and documented misuse in places like the U.K., where it is now classified as a Class C drug.

The gas is also associated with partying and concertgoers looking for a cheap and brief high, as seen in a Channel 5 With Andrew Callahan video in which he interviews people doing whippets outside a Phish concert.

In the early 2020s, some companies began making and selling large flavored tanks of nitrous oxide, including a brand named "Galaxy Gas," which posted a tutorial for assembling their nitrous oxide tanks on YouTube back in March 2022.

When Did Internet Users First Start Posting About Galaxy Gas?

Some discussions about Galaxy Gas brand nitrous oxide took place on X (formerly Twitter) as far back as January 2024 when user @SKUNCC jokingly wrote, "Are u okay babe? Ur not touching ur 905g Blue Raspberry galaxy gas ;/"

By February 2024, the brand was even advertising its product on X writing, "Anytime is Party time!" This was noted by X user @willystaley, who wrote, "I started getting ads for straight-up whippits on here. Insane website."

Discussions about nitrous oxide misuse continued to spread online in the summer of 2024, with X user @FearedBuck writing, "They really out here hitting whippets like vapes now smh" above a video featuring a young man taking a hit from a large Galaxy Gas tank while picking up his food. The young man can be heard saying, "My name Lil T man," when asked, "What's your name, where you from?"

they really out here hitting whippets like vapes now smh pic.twitter.com/TpuVNTdn3a

— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) July 17, 2024

What Is The 'My Name Lil T Man' Trend On TikTok?

The aforementioned video took off on TikTok, with many people joking about the man hitting his tank of nitrous oxide and introducing himself in a bleary yet deep voice while high. TikTokers @therealkyre3 and @babyshiestylivin posted videos parodying Lil T in August 2024.

The comments sections of such TikToks typically contain jokes like "My name Lil T [evil]" or "My name Lil Tay man [rage]" to joke about the man in the video's low voice after consuming nitrous oxide.

What Are Some More Viral Instances Of 'Galaxy Gas' Tanks Being Misused?

Videos showing people misusing nitrous oxide continued to go viral online in the summer of 2024, both on TikTok and on X, where the videos were typically shared by people disparaging the trend.

On August 18th, 2024, X^[7] user @scubaryan_ wrote, "They really using whippets like it’s vapes out here… this generation is cooked 🤦‍♂️."

they really using whippets like it’s vapes out here… this generation is cooked 🤦‍♂️pic.twitter.com/CA7IzKwfoC

— ryan 🤿 (@scubaryan_) August 19, 2024

In August 2024, X user @fentanyl posted a video of a young man hitting a Galaxy Gas tank at a fast food restaurant with no caption added, further indicating the virality of the dangerous substance.

pic.twitter.com/bkA6JFchbo

— ۟ (@fentanyl) August 17, 2024

For the full history of Galaxy Gas Whippets, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.