Any parent can relate to the article below. We do as much as we can to protect our children, to give them the emotional foundation to be secure, and to educate them in such a way they are able to navigate life’s choices in such a way that they will make it through unscathed, happy, and content.

Pass this on to your friends with children of age who might be impacted by this knowledge…

There is growing concern among health professionals that Whip-Its — small canisters filled with nitrous oxide that can be used as a recreational drug and were reportedly used by actress Demi Moore shortly before she was rushed to the hospital in January — are making a comeback among teenagers and young adults across the country.

“What makes them really popular is they’re easily accessible,” said William Oswald, founder of the Summit Malibu drug treatment center. “You can get them at a head shop, you can get it out of a whipped cream bottle.”

The most recent figures show that Whip-Its have become the most popular recreational inhalant of choice, with over 12 million users in the U.S. who have tried it at least once, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Inhaling the compressed gas, either from the Whip-It chargers, a whipped cream canister, or a nitrous tank, is purported to result in a fleeting high, lasting anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes.

Illinois college student Benjamin Collen, 19, died from asphyxiation from nitrous oxide. He was found dead in a fraternity house surround by Whip-Its chargers in 2008.

Melyssa Gastelum was an 18 year-old aspiring fashion model and National Honors Society student when she went to an all-ages party in Phoenix last May where she inhaled Whip-Its and ingesting a small amount of ecstasy. She died later at the hospital and the medical examiner ruled that nitrous oxide was a contributing factor in her death.

“I wish I could wake up from this nightmare,” said her mother, Christy Gastelum. “I ask myself, ‘Why do bad things happen to good people? Why?’”

Debbie Goldman knows that all too well. She said she started using Whip-Its in college and through her years at one of the country’s leading law firms, going through 10 boxes of the tiny chargers every night, 24 to a box.

“My whole body would go numb, and I would just fall asleep,” Goldman said. “My neurologist told me I was very lucky that I didn’t die from it or have brain damage.”

The grieving family of Melyssa Gastelum are now committed to raising awareness about the dangers of nitrous oxide inhalation.

“Our parents did talk to us about marijuana, heroine, drinking and driving,” said Melyssa’s older sister, Alyssa Gastelum. “But there’s so many things that you just don’t know about… And it’s not just teaching your kids right and wrong. It’s teaching them about what can happen to them. How one decision can change their lives and their family’s lives forever.”