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Panel advances bill to limit nitrous-oxide sales to minors after survivor testimony
Summary
The committee advanced S 7-51, which would prohibit sales of nitrous oxide products to people under 18 with exempted professional uses; testimony from a Charleston resident described family harms and urged an amendment to limit sales to bona fide exempt entities.
The subcommittee voted to advance S 7-51, a bill that would restrict access to nitrous oxide (often sold as "galaxy gas" or "whippets") for people under 18 while exempting medical, culinary, industrial and other legitimate uses.
Miss Baker outlined the measure, saying it "would prohibit access to nitrous oxide and nitrous oxide products by minors under the age of 18 with exceptions for certain medical, food preparation, and manufacturing industries," create misdemeanor penalties for sellers who knowingly provide the products to minors, and establish civil penalties for misrepresenting age or failing to secure or label products. The bill would take effect on 2027-01-01.
Michelle Huff Beaver of Charleston County testified in support, contingent on amendment language from the sponsor. Describing experience in her family, Beaver said retail smoke and vape shops are selling large nitrous tanks in quantities she called excessive and predatory and that chronic abuse can cause severe B12 deficiency, neurological damage and even paralysis. She described large canisters she said were 2,000 to 3,000 grams and said restaurants typically use small 8-gram chargers for whipped cream. “They were happily selling 3 to 5 of these tanks in a single day, day after day,” Beaver said.
Sponsor Senator Sutton said she is drafting an amendment to make it unlawful to sell flavored nitrous products at retail while preserving supply chains for medical and commercial food-service buyers who can provide proof of their exempt status; verification procedures would be flexible, she said. Committee members asked whether grocery stores or small bakers would be affected; Sutton and proponents said the amendment language can be tuned to avoid unintended consequences and allow verification for bona fide exempt purchasers.
The committee approved a motion to move S 7-51 to full committee by voice vote with no opposition, with the sponsor and staff to work on finalizing exempt-entity verification language before full-committee consideration.
