Since the start of the spring semester, MSU police have responded to five reports of inhalation of a chemical agent, possibly whip-its, at Hubbard Hall. There have been no other incidents of this nature reported anywhere else on campus.
Two of the five cases are listed as active in the Clery Crime and Fire Log and three are inactive.
MSU Police Capt. Doug Monette could not confirm that all five cases involved whip-its, but he said informational posters regarding the effects and legal ramifications of using whip-its have been hung up around campus. He also said inhalation of a chemical agent is typical of a college campus.
“I remember seeing (whip-its) years and years ago,” Monette said.
According to the poster, whip-its are containers “filled with nitrous oxide that are commonly used to recreationally inhale nitrous oxide to cause a dizzy, euphoric feeling.” Whip-its can cause the user to lose consciousness and feel numb.
The intentional misuse of inhalants can result in a 93-day misdemeanor under Michigan law.
According to a study published by the University of Michigan, the use of inhalants among college-aged people has been less than 2 percent since 2005. While campus has seen some incidents, the city has been free so far.
East Lansing has not seen significant use of inhalants recently, East Lansing Police Department Lt. Steve Gonzalez said.
“Right now the thing that we see is heroin use and abuse,” Gonzalez. “That is the biggest trend, not just for East Lansing but also regionally throughout the Lansing area and Jackson area as well. ... It seems to be in line with the national trend as well. The heroin use has ramped up quite a bit throughout the country. We’ve seen quite a few overdoses and deaths from it.”
According to the crime log, MSU Police has responded to one case involving heroin in the past 60 days. An arrest was made for the possession of heroin on March 25 near Farm Lane and Physics Road.
There are two incidents involving “dangerous drugs” in the crime log in which the type of drug is not specified. There also was one incident with a synthetic narcotic and one with methamphetamine in the past 60 days, according to the crime log.
Despite the use of inhalants and the incidents involving other drugs, marijuana continues to be the leading source for drug stops.
MSU Police has responded to 40 incidents involving marijuana, which range from use, possession and selling, in the past 60 days.
