SEATTLE -- An explosion in the popularity of homemade whipped cream makers is also helping middle and high school students get their hands on large amounts of pure nitrous oxide.

KIRO Team 7 Investigators started noticing cases of nitrous canisters popping up for sale in places that weren't exactly kitchen supply stores.

With their parents’ permission, we sent a pair of 16-year-olds into local convenient stores and smoke shops with a hidden camera. We wanted to see if clerks would sell them what’s known as a nitrous kit. It consists of "whip-its" or whipped creamers, a cracker and balloons.

The cracker's only purpose is to help a huffer get the nitrous gas out of the container and into their lungs without getting frostbite.

Several clerks, approached by our young undercover team, didn’t ask for ID and had no problem taking their money for nitrous kits.

Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne returned to speak with a shop owner in Mukilteo about the transaction.

Halsne: "You do sell these and crackers?"

Owner: "Yeah. We sell those kinds of things."

Halsne: "And what is the purpose of selling that kit?"

Owner: "I don't know."

This "don't know" shop owner in Mukilteo sold our 16-year-olds nitrous, even offering up a number of different-colored crackers kept hidden under the counter.

His excuse for selling to kids just a few blocks from Kamiak High School?

Shop Owner: "If it's not illegal, I have to to sell. Otherwise, I can't make any money. "

A different shop clerk near the University of Washington sold our teenagers a box of 24 nitrous oxide canisters, a cracker , then even slipped in something a little extra: A green, specialized, heavy-duty balloon.

Again, this guy failed to check ID, which he, at first, denied.

Halsne: "Would you sell this to a 16-year-old?" Clerk: "No." Halsne: "You did." Clerk: "No way."

Our videotape is pretty clear, plus I guess he didn't remember writing out a receipt for the nitrous kit. It says Nitrous, cracker and balloon.

When we asked why he was in the nitrous kit business, the clerk responded by saying, “Some people say they can relax a little bit. (It's) for their brain. I have a customer who uses it for that. Reading or writing.”

The cracker is not on Washington's drug paraphernalia list and for now, is legal to possess and sell.

In addition, nitrous oxide is not listed in Washington as a controlled substance.

Former narcotics officer and now Seattle Police Sergeant, Sean Whitcomb, says we've discovered a loophole which needs to be closed.

“Knowing just how dangerous inhaling nitrous oxide is, it's surprising to me that someone would sell it to children, in balloons with these little crackers. It just surprises me. Having it as a substance that is illegal to inhale would make our job very easygoing after areas that might sell these.”

KIRO Team 7 Investigators reviewed dozens of deaths related to young people huffing inhalants and did find at least one directly related to these 8 ounce canisters of nitrous oxide.

However, Dr. Leslie Walker, Chief of Adolescent Medicine at Children’s Hospital, says death is just one of many harmful effects.

“I think that's what's scary about inhalants is that you can do it 20 times and be OK. You can use it the first time and end up with sudden death, end up with permanent brain damage. You can end up with having kidney failure, liver. You can have a lot of problems with your system -- your body just shuts down.”

Our undercover video proves teenagers don't have any trouble buying nitrous kits at a growing number of convenience stores and that many stores don't have any trouble taking their money. Dr. Walker says the unknown is just how many kids sneak a nitrous supply from their parents’ kitchen cabinet.

“People don't realize that they can have something like that sitting in their house and their kid could be using it for other purposes - that's more disturbing because it's right under the nose and nobody knows it's there,” said Walker.

KIRO Team 7 Investigators checked with the Food and Drug Administration. It is not currently regulating these nitrous canisters. Halsne did notice on the label on a box that says "not for sale to persons under 18". We asked the manufacturer why that warning is there and were told, "lawsuits".

The state of Oregon, and about a dozen other states, prohibits the sale or possession of nitrous "kits".

Several Washington state legislators are considering a similar law after hearing about the results from our undercover investigation.