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Cerritos council directs staff to draft ordinance banning recreational nitrous‑oxide sales
Summary
Citing public‑safety and public‑health concerns, the Cerritos City Council directed staff to prepare a municipal code amendment to prohibit sale, distribution and recreational consumption of nitrous oxide within city limits and to complete any required CEQA review.
The Cerritos City Council voted unanimously Jan. 12 to direct staff to prepare a municipal code amendment that would prohibit the retail sale, distribution and recreational consumption of nitrous oxide within city limits, while preserving legitimate industrial, medical and culinary uses.
Advanced planning manager Sabrina Chan presented a survey of other California cities that have adopted similar prohibitions and noted recent public‑health reports describing risks associated with repeated recreational use of nitrous oxide. Chan also said the Cerritos Municipal Code currently lacks a provision specifically regulating retail nitrous‑oxide sales for recreational purposes.
Council members framed the move as a public‑safety step to limit youth access and to align Cerritos with neighboring cities that have enacted restrictions. “I prioritize the city of Cerritos being a safe city,” Mayor Yokoyama said during the discussion, noting the council’s prior action prohibiting flavored vaping product sales as a model for local regulation.
The council motion directed staff to prepare a draft development‑code amendment that would prohibit sale, distribution and consumption of nitrous oxide for recreational use and to conduct any environmental review required by CEQA. The motion passed 5–0.
