Dry ice is a name that is applied to compressed carbon dioxide, “snow."

Dry ice is extremely cold, cold enough to freeze skin cells and cause an injury similar to a burn. Always handle dry ice with protective gloves. If you don't have gloves, you could also use a towel or oven mitt -- anything that acts as a buffer between your skin and the dry ice.

Supervision: Children MUST be supervised by a responsible adult. Never leave dry ice within reach of anyone under the age of 18.

Contact: ​Do not swallow, or put dry ice in your mouth. Do not put dry ice in anyone’s clothing for fun. Potentially severe frostbite may occur as a result of prolonged contact with the skin.

Containers/Jars: ​Do not place dry ice inside an airtight container. Sublimed vapour will increase the interior pressure and will rupture the container.

Transporting your dry ice: Place a thick layer of cardboard, Styrofoam or similar separator between food and liquid products which need to be chilled. Food and liquid products in containers will freeze when their container is placed in contact with dry ice over a short period of time.

​No. Dry ice goes through a process called “sublimation” in which a solid substance skips the liquid state and changes directly into a gaseous state.

Dry ice gives off CO2 (carbon dioxide) gas into the air, which can be dangerous within a confined space, such as a car, van, or room. If dry ice has been present in a confined space for more than 10 minutes, open the doors and windows before entering the space. Otherwise, you will experience difficulty breathing, light-headedness and potential injury or death.

Leave the area immediately if you start to breathe quickly or have any difficulty breathing!