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Nitrous Oxide / Laughing Gas / Harmful / Prohibit the Sale or Distribution

Council File 24-1220

Introduced
2024-10-08
Last changed
2026-05-12
Status
open
Expires
2028-05-12
Mover
EUNISSES HERNANDEZ
Second
TIM MCOSKER
References
City Attorney Report: R26-0094

Brief

Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Imelda Padilla introduced a motion to prohibit the sale and distribution of nitrous oxide within the city. The proposal was referred to the Public Safety Committee in October 2024, approved by that committee in late October, and initially adopted by full Council in November 2024. A City Attorney report prompted reconsideration; the committee approved an amended version in March 2026, and Council adopted the measure as amended on May 12, 2026, by a vote of 14-0-1.

Full summary

In October 2024, Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Imelda Padilla moved to ban the sale and distribution of nitrous oxide within Los Angeles, citing growing recreational misuse of the substance at smoke shops and liquor stores across the city. The motion detailed serious health consequences of inhaling nitrous oxide, including strokes, paralysis, heart failure, and death by asphyxiation, and pointed to a troubling uptick in youth exposure: LAUSD recorded 11 possession incidents during the 2023-2024 school year, up from just one the year prior. The motion also cited two fatal traffic crashes in which nitrous oxide was found in the involved vehicles, including a June 2024 head-on collision in Playa del Rey that killed two teenagers. The availability of flavored nitrous oxide products in colorful packaging at retail stores was flagged as a particular concern for youth initiation. The original motion asked the City Attorney to study the City of Rialto's 2017 ordinance, which made Rialto the first city in the nation to ban nitrous oxide sales outside of medical and industrial uses. The City Attorney was asked to examine how Rialto enforced its ban, how violations were handled across different demographics, and what challenges arose during rollout, before drafting a comparable Los Angeles ordinance. The Public Safety Committee approved that motion in October 2024, and the full Council adopted it on November 20, 2024. The City Attorney delivered a report in February 2026, which the Public Safety Committee took up on March 25, 2026. The committee approved an amended recommendation directing the City Attorney to draft and present an ordinance prohibiting tobacco and cannabis retailers from selling, offering for sale, distributing, or displaying nitrous oxide products. The amended measure includes specific exemptions for medical, food service, automotive, and industrial uses, as well as for pre-packaged food products in which nitrous oxide functions solely as a propellant. The Public Safety Committee voted 5-0 in favor of the amended version. The full Council adopted the amended measure on May 12, 2026, by a vote of 14-0-1. The file remains open subject to the standard reconsideration period under Council Rule 51. The next step is for the City Attorney to prepare and present the actual draft ordinance for Council enactment.

Activity (12)

  • 2026-05-12 Council adopted item as amended, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2026-05-08 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on May 12, 2026.
  • 2026-03-25 Public Safety Committee approved as amended .
  • 2026-03-20 Public Safety Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on March 25, 2026.
  • 2026-02-11 City Attorney document(s) referred to Public Safety Committee.
  • 2026-02-10 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated February 10, 2026.
  • 2024-11-20 Council action final.
  • 2024-11-20 Council adopted item forthwith.
  • 2024-11-18 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on November 20, 2024.
  • 2024-10-22 Public Safety Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2024-10-18 Public Safety Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on October 22, 2024.
  • 2024-10-08 Motion referred to Public Safety Committee.

Documents (15)

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