What Are These Small Gas Cannisters Used For?

[Whitespirit66]

Keep seeing these small gas cannisters everywhere, all of a sudden. They're in people's recycling boxes, discarded on pavements - a neighbour even had to retrieve a mangled one from the blades of his mower the other day.

What are they used for? Could be quite dangerous if dumped on pavements, as they often are. If an old dear stepped on one, it would roll and she would go flying.

View media item 83001

 

[JohnW2]

Keep seeing these small gas cannisters everywhere, all of a sudden. ... What are they used for?

In the absence of markings, they obviously could be anything, but they look like soda siphon CO2 cannisters (which have been around for decades) to me.

Kind Regards, John

 

[bernardgreen]

Another possibility is inflators for life jackets.

 

[Spark123]

Could be nitrous oxide N2O canisters? If so they are meant for use in whipped cream machines, maybe someone has a liking for whipped cream? There were rumours that some people were breathing in N2O laughing gas for an effect, don't know how true this is.

Paint ball guns use something similar too, maybe CO2 tho.

 

[ellal]

They look like CO2 capsules for air rifles

 

[Jackrae]

N2O is the latest "soft-drug" craze. So like needles and dig-sh1t bags, they're dumped and left lying around by those who couldn't care less.

 

[bernardgreen]

There were rumours that some people were breathing in N2O laughing gas for an effect, don't know how true this is..

Very true, back in 199? a cylinder of NO2 ( Entonox ) was stolen from an ambulance by kids looking to get a "high".

 

[JohnW2]

Very true, back in 199? a cylinder of NO2 ( Entonox ) was stolen from an ambulance by kids looking to get a "high".

They might have benefited by being better informed - Entonox is only 50% N2O, whereas the whipped cream stuff is (AFAIAA) 100%

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

These are the same as the ones my Grandad used on his Sparklets soda syphon, except the ones he bought were green.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Co2-Sparklets-12gm-10-Pack/dp/B0050I525A

These are what Gramps used:

http://www.sparklets.net/sparklets/scgbug-31/

 

[Whitespirit66]

Thanks for all the replies. So could be several uses. Not sure that everyone around here has taken to shooting or wearing life jackets. Presuming these things have been around for years, but it's only recently that I have seen them dumped in lots of different places. Sometimes half a dozen or more discarded in the same place.

If the kids are using them for some kind of illicit highs, that explain a lot.

 

[securespark]

Get an interesting high off CO2...

 

[JohnW2]

These are the same as the ones my Grandad used on his Sparklets soda syphon, except the ones he bought were green.

Indeed. I have (and still occasionally use!!) several of those in my kitchen drawer (see below), but that make have, AFAIAA, always been green. Looking around, many of the N2O whipped cream ones seem to be silver, as per OP's photo, or grey.

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• JohnW2
• 23 Sep 2014
• 1

What does rather amaze me is that none of these things seem to bear any markings.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Whitespirit66]

Get an interesting high off CO2...

As the saying goes (or was it Mick J?), 'It's a gas!'

 

[LastMagicBean]

Thanks for all the replies. So could be several uses. Not sure that everyone around here has taken to shooting or wearing life jackets. Presuming these things have been around for years, but it's only recently that I have seen them dumped in lots of different places. Sometimes half a dozen or more discarded in the same place.

If the kids are using them for some kind of illicit highs, that explain a lot.

It's deffo laughing gas, they release the gas into balloons and then inhale it.

Completely legal and easily bought.

You could get your wife some for xmas.

 

[Whitespirit66]

Thanks for all the replies. So could be several uses. Not sure that everyone around here has taken to shooting or wearing life jackets. Presuming these things have been around for years, but it's only recently that I have seen them dumped in lots of different places. Sometimes half a dozen or more discarded in the same place.

If the kids are using them for some kind of illicit highs, that explain a lot.

It's deffo laughing gas, they release the gas into balloons and then inhale it.

Completely legal and easily bought.

You could get your wife some for xmas.

I don't want to make her laugh. Something to knock her out completely would be better. Perhaps ether or chloroform.