To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Public Health
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: Majority
SUBJECT:
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Adoption of a Comprehensive Nitrous Oxide Ordinance Adding Division 11 to Title V of the County Code
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Adopt the attached Ordinance (Comprehensive Nitrous Oxide Ordinance; An Ordinance of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Humboldt Adding Division 11 "Sales of Nitrous Oxide," to Title V of the Humboldt County Code Making It Unlawful for Any Person in the County of Humboldt, with Exceptions, to Sell or Attempt to Sell, Offer, Distribute, or Provide Nitrous Oxide to Any Person) to take effect and be in force 30 days from the date of its adoption; and
2. Direct the Clerk of the Board to publish, within fifteen (15) days after the adoption of the Ordinance, a post-adoption summary of the Ordinance, and to post in the office of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors a certified copy of the full text of the Ordinance.
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STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action supports the following areas of your Board's Strategic Plan.
Area of Focus: Safe & Healthy Communities
Strategic Plan Category: 1006 - Implement Live Well Humboldt - Community Health Improvement Plan
DISCUSSION:
Nitrous oxide, commonly used in medical procedures and food preparation, has gained popularity as a recreational inhalant, posing serious health risks such as neurological damage, addiction, and even fatal outcomes. Research published in The Lancet (March 2025) highlights sustained neurological harm in youth as young as 14.
Sold in cannisters known as "whip-its," nitrous oxide is widely available across Humboldt County, particularly in smoke shops near schools and recreational areas, making access easy for young people. According to the 2021-2023 California Healthy Kids Survey, 11% of local 7th and 11th graders have used inhalants, with 5th graders identifying them as an initiation drug.
Recognizing ...
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