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Police Department <br />www.santa-ana.org/pd <br />Item # 20 <br />or City of Santa Ana <br />20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br />Staff Report <br />May 6, 2025 <br />TOPIC: Ordinance Adding Article XIV to Chapter 10 (Crimes and Miscellaneous Law <br />Enforcement Provisions) of the Santa Ana Municipal Code Prohibiting the Sale or <br />Distribution of Nitrous Oxide <br />AGENDA TITLE <br />Ordinance Adding Article XIV to Chapter 10 (Crimes and Miscellaneous Law <br />Enforcement Provisions) of the Santa Ana Municipal Code Prohibiting the Sale or <br />Distribution of Nitrous Oxide <br />RECOMMENDED ACTION <br />Conduct a first reading and adopt an ordinance adding Article XIV to Chapter 10 <br />(Crimes and Miscellaneous Law Enforcement Provisions) of the Santa Ana Municipal <br />Code prohibiting the sale or distribution of nitrous oxide: <br />ORDINANCE NO. NS-XXXX entitled AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF <br />THE CITY OF SANTA ANA ADDING ARTICLE XIV TO CHAPTER 10 OF THE SANTA <br />ANA MUNICIPAL CODE (CRIMES AND MISCELLANEOUS LAW ENFORCEMENT <br />PROVISIONS) PROHIBITING THE SALE OR DISTRIBUTION OF NITROUS OXIDE <br />GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No <br />DISCUSSION <br />This Ordinance is proposed by the Police Department in response to concerns from the <br />City Council and community about the increasing misuse of nitrous oxide for <br />recreational purposes, which poses risks to public health and safety. Adopting this <br />ordinance will bring the City on par with other regional jurisdictions who have adopted <br />similar ordinances and aid in preserving and protecting public health. Nitrous oxide, <br />commonly known as "laughing gas," "nox," or "whippets," is a colorless, odorless gas <br />legitimately used in medical, dental, industrial, and food production settings. However, <br />the recreational misuse and abuse of nitrous oxide due to its intoxicating effects has <br />surged regionally and within Santa Ana. The surge in use is driven by its affordability <br />and accessibility through retail vendors who sell the nitrous oxide due to loopholes in <br />existing law. Medical studies highlight significant health risks associated with the <br />