It Really Stinks That You Need Approval to Buy Certain Items

Last night I learned you have to have approval to buy compressed air because kids like to inhale it.

As I was at the self-checkout in Walmart last night buying some Ultra Duster and I had to get the item approved by the cashier.

Admittedly, I am very naive to the whole "huffing" craze. I don't have kids and I grew up in the 80s where you were happy to get a 12-pack of Old Milwaukee to drink with your buddies.

When the cashier came over to punch a few buttons she told me of another story.

Apparently, she had sent her teenage son in to buy a pack of Sharpies for a project they were working on. He came back without them and told his mom he wasn't allowed to buy them. Man, I sound really old here, but I remember when you avoided the smell of a Sharpie because it gave you a headache!

Now, I'm not completely in the dark when it comes to this. I know for years the cold medications have been restricted and kept behind the counter. But I didn't know about Sharpies and compressed air. Spray paint has always been a problem too (of course), and upon further research it sees that whipped cream in a can is also banned in some places.

If you're curious about the laws surrounding the purchase and use of inhalants, I found this HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE for the state of Texas. Now excuse me while I blow the dust off my keyboard using the air for its intended purpose.