GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Following a Local 5 News report into the widespread dangers of nitrous oxide in northeast Wisconsin, two alderpersons decided to take action. Now, the motion for an ordinance to ban the sale of nitrous oxide has been sent to the law department, which will draft the ordinance.
“It’s great, we had unanimous support for it. And I was fully expecting that, so I am glad that is what actually happened,” Melinda Eck, alderperson for District 11, said of the common council’s vote. “In smoke shops, saying that it’s for culinary use only, we know there’s something wrong with that so I’m excited that we are finding that and are able to basically plug the loophole.”
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Eck is co-sponsoring the ordinance with Jennifer Grant, the District 1 alderperson.
“I know this isn’t going to solve drug addiction, a big picture issue, but I think it’s important that anything we can control and contribute to helping this problem, we would be silly to ignore it,” Grant said.
Green Bay Police Department Chief Chris Davis said that he would be in favor of the right kind of ordinance that allows businesses that need to use nitrous oxide to continue to operate without being interfered with.
“It’s not something that we see very often, but we do know this is a problem and it’s not a new thing,” he said, explaining that his department has seen spikes in the abuse of the chemical since the 90s. “As long as we can find that balance so that people that legitimately do use this product for their business can still get a hold of it while keeping it out of the hands of people who do misuse it.”
The chemical is used in baking, dentistry, and automobile industries. Dave’z Smoke N Vape shop owner Daifallah Ahmed claims that customers do legitimately come to his shop to buy nitrous oxide for culinary reasons and that a ban would hurt them but have no effect on his business.
“It’s here for the people that want to use it for food purposes,” he said. “If they do [ban nitrous oxide], it’s not something I’m going to have to break my back for over.”
Adam Brouchoud, co-owner of the Serenity House of Green Bay, a drug recovery house, says that this type of regulation is long overdue.
“This is really awesome that it’s coming into place here, that the voices of the people are getting heard,” he said.
His colleague Alisha Ayers, sees the effects that nitrous oxide can have not only on users and the people in their lives but also on communities and public safety.
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“Drug addiction affects all facets of our society,” she said. “Even if it’s not you specifically that is battling with that, there are family members, employers, community members in general.”
Chris Glasow is recovering at the Serenity House of Green Bay and is calling out smoke shops for the pain that they are contributing to abusers of the substance.
“It’s bad news, it’s hurting people,” he said. “[Smoke shop owners] say they have it for cooking purposes, I don’t see no baker going to a head shop to buy nitrous oxide for cooking.”
