DETROIT (WXYZ) — Inside the Detroit Police Department’s 4th Precinct Tuesday night, there was a presentation on a dangerous drug and a new law to stop it.
“If we can make it less available, harder to get, that helps,” Brandi Watts from the Whippet Wipeout Campaign said.
The coalition behind the campaign has helped get a law passed to ban the sale of a device called crackers, which are used to inhale nitrous oxide from whippets. Whippets are often sold in gas stations, liquor stores and dollar stores.
That new law went into effect on Monday. Shelley Holderbaum, commander of the 4th Precinct, says police will be enforcing this new law with education first.
“We’ll be visiting the stores. We’ll provide them, let them know about the new law and what they can and cannot do,” Holderbaum said. "It will be a ticket and it’s going to be a misdemeanor ticket, but we're not going to do the enforcement until we do the educational piece, which will be coming very soon.”
VIDEO: Community prepares for new law targeting whippets that's set to begin
“We just want to make sure everyone is safe," 4th Precinct Capt. Brandon Lewis said. "We want to make sure everyone understands this is a dangerous health issue.”
The meeting Tuesday was about educating the public on the law and health impacts of whippets, which is something that some in the community are well aware of after finding the empty canisters lying around town.
Ann Byrne is a lifelong Detroiter and resident of Southwest Detroit for 25 years. She says she was one of the original residents fighting against whippets 10 years ago.
“What I am is very excited," Byrne said after the meeting. "I'm very excited we have full community support in Southwest Detroit for this.”
Byrne, along with many in other advocates, hope the education and enforcement will cause businesses to go beyond the law and stop selling whippets entirely.
”Our message has to be: we won't shop here," Byrne said of stores who sell whippets. "If you disrespect our community to that level, we will not give you our business.”
“I think that with the education component, it should help them to go beyond that," said Laura Chavez with the Whippet Wipeout Campaign. "But again, sometimes people are just in it for the quick money.”
A ticket could cost a business up to $7,500.
If you find whippets on the street, there is a red bin in the 4th Precinct parking lot, which serves as a disposal site.
