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The Sonoma <a href="https://healthylife7.com/dallas-county-confirms-measles-case/” title=”Dallas County confirms measles case”>County Board of Supervisors is poised to adopt an ordinance restricting the sale and distribution of nitrous oxide to curb its recreational use
Health officials have flagged nitrous oxide, a colorless, nonflammable gas colloquially called “laughing gas,” “NOX” or “whippits,” as an emerging public health issue after noticing greater indicators of recreational use in the community. The gas is used legally for medical (dentistry), commercial, industrial, scientific, automotive and food-related purposes, including in whipped cream cannisters
But the increase in its use as a recreational intoxicant has been documented by hospitals, police departments and even environmental cleanup groups who reported finding large quantities of discarded nitrous oxide cylinders and containers, health officials told the board Tuesday
“That convergence tells us there is an emerging public problem that warrants a prevention response,” said Brittany Lobo, healthy communities section manager in the county’s Department of Health Services
The board on Tuesday unanimously endorsed the ordinance, but will need to take a second vote before it can be implemented. That vote is expected to take place in September and the ordinance would take effect 30 days later, Lobo said
State laws already in effect limit sales and prohibit possession or use of nitrous oxide as an intoxicant. The county’s ordinance, which will apply to unincorporated areas, will create a pathway and tools for the county to enforce violations locally
Under the new regulations, a violation of the nitrous oxide ordinance could result in the loss of a tobacco retail license, which officials have said will be a key part of their enforcement
“Tying compliance with nitrous oxide ordinance to tobacco retail ordinance is a good motivator for retailers,” Lobo said in an interview
The new regulations will target products meeting various criteria, including the size and packaging of the product. But the type of business selling the nitrous oxide items, such as a smoke shop or convenience store, versus a restaurant supplier or grocery store, will also be a factor in determining violations, Lobo said
Of the 49 retail locations selling nitrous oxide, 94% were tobacco license holders, including smoke shops and convenience stores, according to county staff
The recreational use of nitrous oxide among Sonoma County’s youth is adding to the urgency
According to a Sonoma County staff report, non-medical inhalation of nitrous oxide can have adverse health impacts including neurological injury, oxygen deprivation, impaired judgment and loss of consciousness
“It’s a party thing… They can’t test for it on drug screens so you can get away with using it,” Lobo said in the interview. “It’s an emerging substance that our young people don’t know enough about and that a lot of our young adults are starting to experiment with.”
While officials are aiming to curb the sale and use of nitrous oxide for non-medical uses, the ordinance does not ban possession but restricts the sale of those products, with a few exceptions including wholesale transactions. Retail sales for medical, commercial, industrial, scientific, automotive and food-related uses will still be permitted
You can reach Staff Writer Emma Murphy at 707-521-5228 or emma.murphy@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MurphReports
