A bill (SB 432) that would prohibit the over-the-counter sales of nitrous oxide in Florida is on its way to the governor’s desk.
Nitrous oxide, also known as “laughing gas” and colloquially as “whippits" or "Whip-Its,” is used at the dentists’ offices but can be sold at gas stations and smoke shops in canisters.
Inhaling nitrous oxide can cause a euphoric effect, but excess use can cause brain damage and suffocation from prolonged or continuous oxygen deprivation.
The bill, which passed the Senate last week, passed through the House unanimously.
If signed into law, the ban would not apply to designated grocery stores and supermarkets licensed by the Florida Department of Agriculture, but it would apply to convenience stores.
It would also not prohibit the sale of a finished food product in which nitrous oxide is used solely as a propellant, like a whipped cream can.
The bill is also known as “Meg’s Law,” after Meg Caldwell, a 29-year-old Central Florida resident whose relatives say died behind a smoke shop after she consumed nitrous oxide.
