Why do you have to be 18 to buy dry ice?

Question

I wanted to use some to make fog for halloween tonight, but they wouldn't let me buy it cause I'm 17 :(

What do they think I'm gonna do? Try licking it or something?

And I know you aren't supposed to touch it by the way. Just because I'm 17 doesn't mean I'm stupid -.-

Answer 1

kids are imature sometimnes which take away privilages from the rest they make bombs or play pranks with it or could even get hurt with it

Answer 2

dry ice is basically frozen carbon dioxide.

it can be dangerous, so some states have laws that say a person has to be a certain age to buy it.


it is very easy to have it stick to the skin and flash freeze your flesh.

the vapor from the sublimation of the dry ice is carbon dioxide and can build up in enclosed areas. this can lead to a person not being able to breathe enough oxygen.

you should be able to find an adult that will help you.

have a safe and happy halloween.

Answer 3

I wasn't aware of that either, but I guess because it can easily cause frost bite. You can also make high pressure explosive bombs with it, usually using water and a 2 liter.

If you get some, try holding a key pressed up on it and it will start ringing non stop, pretty cool, literally!

Answer 4

I think you can get high off the stuff if you keep it in an enclosed space. Not to say if you're over the age of 18 you won't get high, lol. Stupid rule.

Answer 5

I have no idea. When was a teen I went to buy a lighter (for lighting my incense) and I couldn't because I wasn't yet 18. I feel your pain.

Answer 6

What is dry ice? Why does it create smoke?
A. Dry ice is the general term for solid carbon dioxide (CO2), coined in 1925 by Long Island-based Prest Air Devices. Though originally a trademarked term, this has become the most common way of referring to carbon dioxide in its solid, or frozen, state.
How is dry ice manufactured?
Carbon dioxide is "frozen" by compressing carbon dioxide gas to a high pressure. When it is released, as liquid carbon dioxide, it quickly expands and evaporates, cooling some of the carbon dioxide down to the freezing point (-109.3 degrees Fahrenheit or -78.5 degrees Celsius) so that it becomes solid "snow." This solid can be compressed together into blocks, pellets, and other forms.
Such "snow" also forms on the nozzle of a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher when it is used.

Special Properties of Dry Ice
Under normal atmospheric pressure, dry ice undergoes the process of sublimation, transitioning directly from solid to gaseous form. In general, at room temperature and normal pressure, it sublimates at a rate of 5 to 10 pounds every 24 hours.
Because of the very low temperature of dry ice (see Safety Instructions below), it is used for refrigeration. Packing frozen food in dry ice allows it to remain frozen without the mess that would be involved with other cooling methods, such as water from melted ice.

Several Uses of Dry Ice
Cooling materials - food, biological samples, perishable items, computer components, etc.
Dry ice fog (see below)
Cloud seeding to increase precipitation from existing clouds or decreasing cloud thickness
Tiny pellets can be "shot" at surfaces to clean them, similar to sanding ... since it sublimates, the benefit is less residue to clean up
Various other industrial uses
Dry Ice Fog
One of the most popular uses of dry ice is in special effects, to create fog and smoke. When combined with water, it sublimates into a cold mixture of carbon dioxide and humid air, which causes condensation of water vapor in the air, forming fog. Warm water speeds up the process of sublimation, producing more dramatic fog effects.
Such devices can be used to make a smoke machine, although simplified versions of this could be created by putting dry ice in water and using fans on low settings.

Safety Instructions
Do not taste, eat or swallow! Dry ice is very cold and can damage your body.
Wear heavy, insulated gloves. Since dry ice is cold, it can damage even your skin, giving you frostbite.
Do not store in sealed container. Because dry ice constantly sublimates into carbon dioxide gas, storing it in a sealed container will cause pressure to build up. If it builds up enough, the container could explode.
Use only in ventilated space. In a poorly ventilated area, the build up of carbon dioxide could create a suffocation hazard. This is of great danger when transporting the dry ice in a vehicle.
Carbon dioxide is heavier than air. It will sink to the floor. Keep this in mind when thinking about how to make the space well ventilated.
Obtaining Dry Ice
You can buy dry ice at most grocery stores. You have to ask for it, though. Sometimes there might be an age requirement on buying dry ice, requiring someone age 18 or over.

Answer 7

it is also used for special effects in the movie industry and some ppl use it for making moonshine and it is a controlled substance. that is why u werent able to buy it. I'm sorry. ;(

Answer 8

It can really burn you if you touch it without gloves, so they only sell it to adults, and unfortunately the accepted age of adulthood is 18.

Answer 9

you could cause an explosion by putting it in a certain type of container. That is what some teenagers used to do.

Answer 10

First I've ever heard of that rule. I think it's related to that particular store only. I would try to get it elsewhere.