San Mateo County supervisors move to ban nitrous oxide sales with unanimous vote on draft ordinance
The drafting of an ordinance banning the sale of nitrous oxide containers in parts of San Mateo County was unanimously approved Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors.
Board of Supervisors President David Canepa and Supervisor Ray Mueller are co-sponsors of the ordinance that would prohibit the sale and distribution of nitrous oxide, also called laughing gas and sold in small metal canisters known as "whip-its," in unincorporated parts of the county.
The ordinance is now scheduled to be heard by the Board at its Aug. 26 meeting, where passage is also expected. Supervisors hope that the ordinance will spur each city to explore its own ban on nitrous oxide distribution.
According to supervisors, the county's Youth Commission, along with the Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, has identified that youth in the county are at risk for nitrous oxide abuse because of its availability at smoke shops around the county, potentially without age verification.
Videos showing young people getting high with nitrous oxide, also sold at gas stations and online retailers, have proliferated on social media platforms.
Canepa said in a prepared statement that the proposed ordinance treats the abuse of nitrous oxide as a public health risk.
"The data shows misuse and abuse of nitrous oxide or 'whip-its' can cause serious and potentially life-threatening health complications that negatively impact a user's physical and psychological health, said Canepa. "Despite the dangers of nitrous oxide abuse, recreational use has been rising rapidly among youth across the world, and that's why we are addressing this with urgency."
The canisters are used as a propellant for whipped cream and for medical purposes, especially dentistry and surgery, as a controlled sedative. Inhaling nitrous oxide can cause serious health problems, including abnormal blood counts, asphyxiation, blood clots, impaired bowel and bladder function, loss of consciousness, numbness, palpitations, paralysis, psychiatric disturbances, trouble walking, vitamin B12 deficiency, and, in some cases, death, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
For some individuals, the damage can be long-lasting or irreversible, even after stopping use. California law makes it a misdemeanor to sell, distribute, or give nitrous oxide to any person for recreational purposes.
Last week in neighboring Santa Clara County, San Jose police raided four smoke shops it said were illegally selling nitrous oxide canisters, along with psilocybin mushrooms and cannabis. During the Dead & Company concert series in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park earlier this month, police arrested a 32-year-old Philadelphia man who allegedly had about 100 metal tanks filled with suspected nitrous oxide and numerous balloons in an open trailer on the north side of the park.