*To view this petition in Spanish, please click here*

We, the undersigned businesses, nonprofits, and volunteers who make up the Whippet WipeOut Campaign Coalition, petition Detroit City Council to take recommended actions that: align with our goals for a safe community and stem the public health, safety, and environmental hazards present from the sale and discards of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) products in the form of whippet (N2O) cartridges and non-refillable cylinders that litter our public streets, parks, and sidewalks.

After cleaning up a proliferation of whippet cartridges (26,000) in 4 weeks during the summer of 2020, community and business leaders formed the coalition in September 2020 in District 6, specifically for Zip Codes 48209 - 48210. We were fortunate in that some members of the Detroit Police and Fire Department and the Department of Health aligned with the mission early. Members also include two council members and their staff and a member of the Michigan Legislature. 

During 2020, coalition volunteers collected and safely disposed of 31,000 plus whippet cartridges. In 2021, we find the problem is escalating (8,500 collected at five different sites in three hours during the June 5th Motor City Make Over) and is now beyond the scope of our volunteer clean-up abilities. The 11th Precinct is also reporting whippet litter. 

It has become a trend to get high from inhaling the nitrous oxide contents of whippet cartridges. Local stores sell the N2O cartridges (whippets) as a food product to make whip cream desserts in a commercial whip cream dispenser. These dispensers are not a household item. Yet, area gas stations, liquor, and convenience stores stock the N2O whippet cartridges and cylinders as a household item. As evidenced by the Monday morning litter we see on our Southwest Detroit streets and parks every week, sales are brisk. Even the discount stores are profiting by selling the extractor tool used to access the gas from the whippet cartridge. (See images of items associated with misuse)

The work of our coalition presents a unique opportunity for the City Council to help the communities. We have been active in the proper collection and disposal, community awareness, and outreach to stores. It is not often that a health and environmental hazard has an opposing force early on. While the coalition has laid the groundwork, we are at a standstill unless there is help from the City of Detroit to address the current threats. The time is now to stem the escalation of this trending N2O drug of choice.

Other communities like Rialto, CA, have had to address this problem. We have arrived at our recommendations by reaching out to affected neighborhoods and exploring resources for the past year. 

We are proud Detroit residents bonded by lifelong endeavors to make our neighborhoods and businesses vibrant assets. We know that the members of the Detroit City Council share that same pride. You can imagine the dismay when a blog titled "Detroit Hopped Up on Whippets" was published on the internet citing a September 2020 news story of a driver high on whippets launching his car over an open draw bridge in Detroit. A coalition member appealed to the blogger; he changed the title to respect the Whippet WipeOut Coalition's work and our City. We do not want whippets and their health and environmental hazards associated with any description of Detroit or our neighborhoods.

We petition Detroit City Council to adopt the following priority measures as soon as possible:

1. City of Detroit to undertake the safe collection, disposal, and recycling of nitrous oxide product litter.
2. Enact the ordinance banning the sale of nitrous oxide, as presented to your legal department in March, based on the law adopted by the City of Rialto, CA.
3. In the interim, require stores to implement and comply with measures like those that regulate the sale of pseudoephedrine used to make crystal meth.
           -register as a nitrous oxide sales outlet 
           -view purchasers ID before purchase
           -keep a log of purchases and associated ID info
4. Require police departments and first responders to report monthly: 1) as to nitrous oxide products or product discards present at an accident scene or traffic stop; 2) if there is a litter presence of nitrous oxide products and are they whippets or the larger tanks.  

Additional safety measures to consider include:

• Provide video training for first responders in case of fire involving nitrous oxide.
• Provide video training for police to enforce 'no sales to minors' under Michigan law.
• Track the sales outlet of the nitrous oxide large tanks with ID info blacked out. Conduct compliance checks to monitor sales to minors. (Conduct same as tobacco checks and engage health department).
• Conduct an awareness campaign on health, safety, and environmental hazards associated with the possession, collection, and disposal of the N2O cartridges and non-refillable cylinders.
• Work with Michigan State Police to publicize the Angel Program to get youth & adults into recovery.
• Work with the 4th Precinct to support the LEAD Program.
• Create a central reporting site to track the emergence of whippet litter.
• Fund and support the ongoing work of the Whippet Wipeout Coalition.