Oxford limits nitrous oxide sales to protect under-21s
Oxford police posted a community notice about Ordinance 74-15 regulating nitrous oxide products and restricting possession and sale for intoxication, the department said in a Facebook post. The ordinance aims to protect people under 21, regulate retail availability and provide penalties for violations.
The post said nitrous oxide has legitimate medical and food-preparation uses but is increasingly misused as a recreational drug by inhaling gas from balloons to get a brief high. The department said that while effects may be short-lived, inhalant misuse can deprive the brain of oxygen and lead to impaired judgment, neurological injury, loss of consciousness and, in some cases, serious injury or death.
Oxford police said local incidents linked to inhalant impairment have resulted in crashes, injuries and emergency responses that affected users and bystanders. The department added that easy access to nitrous oxide in non-food retail settings drives misuse and disproportionately affects young people.
The post stressed the ordinance does not ban lawful uses by restaurants, medical providers or industrial users and said officers will visit businesses to distribute notices and a copy of the full ordinance. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
