Bill · S. 4997· Senate(119-S-4997)
Nitrous Oxide Inhalation Prevention Act
- Introduced
- 7/15/2026
- Last activity
- 7/15/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Ron Wyden
- Cosponsors
- - 2 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Nitrous Oxide Inhalation Prevention Act aims to stop the misuse of nitrous oxide while keeping it available for essential uses. It gives the FDA power to regulate the packaging, labeling, and sale of nitrous oxide products. The bill bans flavored products and limits food-use canisters to 8 grams. It sets a minimum purchase age of 21 and restricts retail sales hours. Additionally, the act provides grants for education and prevention programs to reduce misuse.
Yes· 3 of 8
Would children be better off under this?+6
Prohibits sales to those under 21 and funds youth education campaigns.
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?+6
Provides protections and education to prevent substance misuse among youth and young adults.
Would students be better off under this?+6
Directly targets the prevention of misuse through education and age restrictions.
The opposite· 3 of 4
Would business owners be better off under this?-4
Increases compliance costs for retailers and introduces significant financial penalties for violations.
Does this leave more decisions to the states?-4
Implements federal standards that may preempt or overlap with state-level regulations.
Does this make it easier to run a small business?-3
Imposes new regulatory burdens, storage requirements, and potential civil penalties on retail store owners.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Public Health Warnings: The bill requires warning labels on products, including 8-gram cartridges, to inform people that inhalation can cause brain injury, suffocation, and death (Section 3(c)(2)).
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Protection of Minors: It prohibits the sale or transfer of nitrous oxide products to anyone under 21 years of age (Section 3(e)(1)(A)).
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Prevention and Education: The bill provides grants to schools, nonprofit organizations, and health departments to run youth outreach and education campaigns about the dangers of nitrous oxide misuse (Section 4(a), (b), and (c)).
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Emergency Response Training: Funds will be used to train law enforcement, poison control centers, and emergency departments on how to identify and respond to nitrous oxide misuse (Section 4(c)(3)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Retailer Burdens: Store owners must store products in locked or restricted-access areas and ensure they are not visible to the public (Section 3(e)(2)).
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Financial Penalties: Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers face civil monetary penalties for violations, with some fines reaching up to $21,348 for manufacturers or $14,232 for repeat retail offenders (Section 3(b)(10)(B)).
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Purchase Restrictions: The Secretary is authorized to set a limit on the amount of nitrous oxide products an individual consumer can buy (Section 3(e)(3)).
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Limited Access Hours: Retail stores are prohibited from selling these products between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., unless they are for legitimate medical, industrial, or automotive use (Section 3(e)(1)(B)(ii)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Children+6Good For Students+6Good For Young Adults+6Good For Business Owners-4
- Healthcare
- Improves Opioid Crisis Response+3
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+5Improves Small Business Support-3
- Education And Technology
- Increases Public School Funding+2
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+4Improves Government Transparency+1Increase States Rights-4Improves Privacy Rights-2
- 7/15/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California