This bill, known as the Nitrous Oxide Inhalation Prevention Act, aims to prevent the misuse of nitrous oxide for euphoric or intoxicating effects while preserving its legitimate and essential uses. It directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish comprehensive requirements for nitrous oxide products, specifically excluding aerosol whipped cream canisters not marketed for inhalation and FDA-regulated medical drugs. These regulations encompass packaging, labeling, product characteristics, and sales practices. Key provisions include a prohibition on brightly colored packaging or those featuring cartoon characters, and mandatory warning labels covering at least 20 percent of the principal display panel, including on individual 8-gram cartridges. The bill also bans flavored nitrous oxide products and limits food-use cartridges to 8 grams of nitrous oxide by weight. Sales restrictions mandate a minimum age of 21 , require age verification for in-person and delivery sales, and prohibit sales between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. at retail stores. Further sales requirements include storing products in locked or restricted-access areas , making them not visible to the public, and establishing limits on purchase amounts for individual consumers. The bill outlines civil monetary penalties for violations, with escalating fines for retailers and delivery sellers, and higher penalties for manufacturers and distributors. Additionally, it authorizes grants for harm reduction and misuse prevention programs, supporting education campaigns and training for first responders, and mandates annual reporting on enforcement and public health outcomes.
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Timeline
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Nitrous Oxide Inhalation Prevention Act
USA119th CongressS-4997| Senate
| Updated: 7/15/2026
This bill, known as the Nitrous Oxide Inhalation Prevention Act, aims to prevent the misuse of nitrous oxide for euphoric or intoxicating effects while preserving its legitimate and essential uses. It directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish comprehensive requirements for nitrous oxide products, specifically excluding aerosol whipped cream canisters not marketed for inhalation and FDA-regulated medical drugs. These regulations encompass packaging, labeling, product characteristics, and sales practices. Key provisions include a prohibition on brightly colored packaging or those featuring cartoon characters, and mandatory warning labels covering at least 20 percent of the principal display panel, including on individual 8-gram cartridges. The bill also bans flavored nitrous oxide products and limits food-use cartridges to 8 grams of nitrous oxide by weight. Sales restrictions mandate a minimum age of 21 , require age verification for in-person and delivery sales, and prohibit sales between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. at retail stores. Further sales requirements include storing products in locked or restricted-access areas , making them not visible to the public, and establishing limits on purchase amounts for individual consumers. The bill outlines civil monetary penalties for violations, with escalating fines for retailers and delivery sellers, and higher penalties for manufacturers and distributors. Additionally, it authorizes grants for harm reduction and misuse prevention programs, supporting education campaigns and training for first responders, and mandates annual reporting on enforcement and public health outcomes.