Santa Ana officials are looking to ban the sale of nitrous oxide also known as “whippets” or “laughing gas” for recreational drug use under a new proposed law.
At their 5:30 p.m. meeting that can be streamed live on YouTube, city council members will consider the proposed ordinance – joining county supervisors and Stanton officials in an attempt to crack down on recreational nitrous oxide use.
Councilwoman Jessie Lopez – who is running for state assembly against two of her colleagues – said she called for the ordinance after county supervisors approved a similar law and after hearing from parents who say their kids are becoming addicted to whippets.
“This isn’t just a party drug. It’s a very dangerous substance that, as we’ve all kind of learned, causes long term brain damage and puts people at risk, especially when people are using it behind the wheel,” Lopez said in a Monday phone interview.
“It’s definitely harming our youth.”
Lopez said, if adopted, code enforcement officers would keep a close eye on smoke shops and liquor stores and educate business owners on the new law.
“We already know where the smoke shops are at, and so we want to make sure that they’re being good partners with the city,” she said.
Councilman Ben Vazquez said the ordinance is about making sure kids don’t have easy access to whippets.
“We see more and more kids and young people using it,” he said in a Monday evening phone call.
Vazquez beyond that ordinance said he hopes the city launches an educational campaign warning people of the dangers of using laughing gas.
Councilman Johnathan Ryan Hernandez, who is also running for State Assembly, said the ordinance will protect kids and their families from the negative health effects of using whippets.
“Nitrous oxide is pretty dangerous, and it is easily accessible to people who live in our city,” Hernandez said in a Monday evening phone call. “This is the right decision to make.”
He also said tonight’s discussion will focus on how to enforce the ordinance.
“Number one can be ensuring that there’s no stores within the city where people can purchase this,” Hernandez said. “I would envision that code enforcement will play a very important role in ensuring the success of this ban.”
The rest of the city council members did not respond or return phone calls requesting comment Monday.
Shannon Young, an administrator that oversees Enhance Health Group – a substance abuse mental health treatment facility in Tustin, said it’s heartbreaking to see patients who do well in the recovery program get thrown off track by a drug like whippets.
“We can’t test for it. It really hurts our community that we’ve created in recovery for them, andI it’s just pretty hard to protect them when it’s just so accessible at these local stores,” Young said in a Monday phone call.
She said the use of whippets has gone up in popularity.
“Today, it’s a daily battle,” Young said.
Natalie Garcia, a spokeswoman with the Santa Ana police department, did not respond to email questions regarding how many arrests related to whippets have been made annually in recent years.
The ordinance in Santa Ana would include exceptions for the sale of nitrous oxide for the use in cars, food products and medical or dental care.
Violation of the ordinance could result in a misdemeanor.
According to the staff report, the crack down comes amid a regional surge in the use of whippets driven partly by the gas’ affordability and availability despite a state law already banning the sale of nitrous oxide for recreational use.
Nitrous oxide poses several health risks and prolonged use can lead to nerve damage, blood issues, and mental health problems like psychosis, according to an online article from the Yale School of Medicine.
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter and corps member with Report for America, a GroundTruth initiative. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @ElattarHosam.