Council asks city attorney to draft ordinance to ban sale and distribution of nitrous oxide amid youth‑use concerns

Citing a rise in incidents of youth using nitrous oxide canisters, the Port Hueneme City Council on April 21 unanimously directed the city attorney to draft an ordinance prohibiting the sale and distribution of nitrous oxide within city limits.

Chief of Police (Federico, first name not printed in the report) and city staff described officers’ recent encounters with juveniles using nitrous oxide; police said the product is increasingly packaged and marketed in ways that make it attractive to young people. Officers described on‑scene interventions in which juveniles were actively huffing from balloons filled from consumer canisters.

City Manager Vega and the chief said current state law gives police limited tools to address on‑scene use but that an ordinance banning retail sale and distribution within the city would reduce local accessibility while allowing exceptions for legitimate industrial or culinary uses. Council members asked about enforcement and whether the ban would create exceptions for legitimate businesses; staff said the draft ordinance can include narrow exemptions for bona fide culinary, automotive, or industrial uses and that the enforcement approach would be coordinated with the police department.

The measure to direct the city attorney to prepare ordinance language passed unanimously on a voice vote; the council did not adopt an ordinance at this meeting but provided staff direction to draft the proposed code change for future consideration.