Mayor Robyn Tannehill and the City of Oxford Board of Alderman announced a new ordinance on Tuesday, Feb. 3 that restricts the use of nitrous oxide, commonly referred to as “whippets” or “laughing gas.”
City Ordinance No. 2026-3 was unanimously approved by the aldermen in attendance. Under the ordinance, it is illegal for any person to intentionally consume nitrous oxide for intoxication purposes or to possess nitrous oxide with the intent to use it for intoxication purposes within Oxford city limits.
The ordinance also makes it illegal to sell nitrous oxide products to individuals under 21 or to any person whose intention is to use the product for intoxication purposes. The city prohibits the recreational use, possession and sale of nitrous oxide.
There are still lawful uses of nitrous oxide, which the ordinance explained, including food preparation, medical, dental, veterinary, industrial, automotive, retail and scientific uses.
“Nitrous oxide has legitimate uses in medicine and food preparation,” Oxford Police Department Public Information Officer Breck Jones said in a press release dated Feb. 10. “However, it is increasingly being misused as a recreational drug by inhaling the gas from balloons to get a brief high.”
Jones also pointed to an uptick in vehicular crashes linked to nitrous oxide in Oxford as a reason for the ordinance.
“Here in our community, we have seen the real-world consequences of this misuse,” Jones said. “Impairment from inhalants has been linked to crashes, injuries and emergency responses that impact not only the user but also innocent drivers, passengers and pedestrians. These incidents are preventable, and their effects are felt by families, neighborhoods and our community.”
In an interview with The Oxford Eagle, Oxford Police Chief Jeff McCutchen said that the city’s concerns over nitrous oxide have stretched over a decade, with the first major incident in the community taking place in 2012 or 2013.
Andrew Yockey, assistant professor of public health at the University of Mississippi, has studied the effects of nitrous oxide. In July 2025, Yockey was a co-author of a first-of-its-kind study on nitrous oxide-related fatalities.
Yockey clarified the reasoning behind recreational use of nitrous oxide in an interview with The Daily Mississippian.
“People often inhale it for a brief euphoria, dizziness or a sense of floating,” Yockey said. “But even in the short term, especially for people under 21, it can cause tingling in the hands and feet, loss of coordination, fainting or even injury if you pass out.”
Yockey also noted the legitimate uses of nitrous oxide, differentiating them from recreational use.
“As for adults over 21, nitrous oxide is generally safe when used medically, like at the dentist’s office, under supervision with oxygen,” Yockey said. “Recreational use, though, is never truly safe — the risks are still there.”
While the new ordinance will restrict access to nitrous oxide in stores, Yockey said it may not be a fix-all solution.
“It’s not a silver bullet,” Yockey said. “Young people can still get it online or from informal sources. So while it might reduce use, it’s unlikely to completely stop it.”
The regulation states that the ordinance will be enforced by the Oxford Police Department and other authorized personnel. The penalties include fines up to $500 or imprisonment.
