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Los Angeles has banned smoke shops and other tobacco retailers from selling nitrous oxide for recreational use after a 14-0 City Council vote. This decision follows concerns over public gatherings where people inhale the gas for its euphoric effects, often near schools, leading to health risks and incidents like impaired driving. The ordinance includes exceptions for food products using nitrous oxide as propellant and mirrors recent state laws aiming to restrict recreational sales of the substance.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Los Angeles City Council voted 14-0 on Wednesday to ban smoke shops and other tobacco retailers from selling or distributing nitrous oxide for recreational use. This move follows concerns raised by community groups like the San Fernando Valley Partnership, which highlighted that 73% of schools in Los Angeles are within 1,000 feet of a smoke shop. Councilmember Imelda Padilla, who spearheaded this effort over two years, noted the growing trend of cities across California restricting recreational nitrous oxide sales. The ordinance will be sent to Mayor Karen Bass for final approval and complements state legislation like SB 758, which aims to prohibit the sale of nitrous oxide in smoke shops.
Written for “LA Drug Crackdown” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning: leans right for article 65694 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-10-08
Los Angeles is cracking down on the city’s smoke shops after a growing street scene involving nitrous oxide tanks, balloons and people getting high on the so-called “laughing gas.”
asserted
Angeles → crack → gas
The City Council voted 14-0 Wednesday to ban smoke shops and other tobacco retailers from selling or distributing nitrous oxide for recreational use.
asserted
Council → vote → use
The ordinance makes an exception for pre-packaged food products that use nitrous oxide, or NAWS, as a propellant.
asserted
that → make → propellant
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asserted
Sign → sign → California
Councilmember Imelda Padilla, who has pushed the measure for two years, said the crackdown comes as cities across California have moved to restrict recreational nitrous sales.
“
asserted
cities → push → sales
For two years now I’ve worked closely with community partners… and the city attorney to usher this policy through the council process.
asserted
I → work → process
Along the way we have seen support from our community, we’ve seen other cities and counties join and it’s even gone all the way to the state level,” Padilla said.
asserted
Padilla → see → level
“Our fight against the recreational sale of nitrous oxide, often called NAWS, now has new tools at the state level.
asserted
fight → call → level
SB 758 prohibits smoke shops, tobacco retailers and convenience stores from selling nitrous oxide altogether.
asserted
SB → prohibit → oxide
SB 936 bans flavored nitrous oxide and restricts the sale of large unflavored tanks, commonly used, recreationally,” she further said.
asserted
she → ban → tanks
Padilla said the new state laws also give local governments more tools to impose additional restrictions.
asserted
laws → say → restrictions
Albert Melena, a representative of the San Fernando Valley Partnership, a nonprofit focused on healthy communities, pointed to the proximity of smoke shops to schools.
“73% of the schools in the city of Los Angeles are within 1,000 feet of a smoke shop,” Melena said.
asserted
Melena → focus → shop
The crackdown comes after a striking scene unfolded in downtown LA in late July, when a large crowd gathered near the Orpheum Theatre clutching nitrous oxide tanks and inhaling gas from balloons.
asserted
crowd → come → balloons
The group appeared rowdy, while a makeshift sidewalk bar was also seen serving alcohol.
asserted
bar → appear → alcohol
Nitrous oxide is a colorless, nonflammable gas commonly used by dentists for pain relief.
asserted
oxide → use → relief
Recreational use can produce feelings of euphoria and hallucinations, while heavy or improper use can cause serious injury or death.
asserted
use → produce → injury
In June, a driver in Rancho Palos Verdes was caught allegedly driving while impaired after inhaling NAWS.
uncertain
driver → catch → NAWS
He was seen blowing through stop signs and nearly hitting parked vehicles, while police found ice-cold nitrous tanks and balloons in his vehicle.
asserted
police → see → vehicle
Now LA is moving to cut off one source of the recreational gas.
asserted
LA → move → gas
The ordinance will head to Mayor Karen Bass for final approval following Wednesday’s vote.
asserted
ordinance → head → vote
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