BATON ROUGE, La. (WVUE) - Following a series of Fox 8 reports highlighting the dangers and accessibility of nitrous oxide, a bill banning the sale of the gas to the general public was unanimously granted final passage by Louisiana’s Senate on Tuesday (May 14). The bill, authored by Rep. Joe Stagni (R-Kenner), now heads to Governor Jeff Landry’s desk. If signed, Louisiana would become the first state in the nation to enact such legislation. The bill allows industrial and automotive use of nitrous oxide and makes exceptions for legitimate restaurant usage, but will remove the gas from the shelves of smoke shops and corner stores across the state. “We just passed the strongest nitrous oxide ban in the country,” Stagni said. “Our legislature has sent a strong message that we’re not letting profiteers injure our citizens, cause heartache in our families.”
The bill contains provisions exempting industries reliant on nitrous oxide for their operations, such as dentistry. Rep. Stagni says he’s confident Gov. Landry will sign the bill into law.