FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2025
Latisha Townsend – Communications Director, Supervisor Foley
(714) 559-8364 | Latisha.Townsend@ocgov.com
Building on the Success of OC Vice Chair Katrina Foley’s Nitrous Oxide Ban, City of Newport Beach Bans Retail Sales of NOX
ORANGE COUNTY, CA – Yesterday, the Newport Beach City Council unanimously passed the second reading of an ordinance to ban retail sale of nitrous oxide (NOX) within the city. Earlier this year, Supervisor Katrina Foley led the effort to pass a countywide ban on NOX. Supervisor Foley’s office then sent a model ordinance to all Fifth District cities, and Santa Ana, to encourage banning NOX and protecting our public health and safety.
Any person in the City of Newport Beach selling, advertising for sale, attempting to sell, distributing, or using Nitrous Oxide for recreational purposes faces legal consequences. Exceptions remain for use in food products (whipped cream), when sold for purposes of vehicle performance, medical or dental care, a prescription, or sold by a State licensed pharmacist.
In response to the Newport Beach City Council’s decision, Supervisor Foley released the following statement of support.
“Proper enforcement must follow the Newport Beach NOX ban. Holding retailers accountable for selling a product that is illegal for consumers to possess and inhale closes the state loophole they are exploiting for profit,” said Vice Chair Katrina Foley. “Newport Beach implements a critical step toward protecting our youth and preserving public safety. I commend City Council for swift action following our countywide initiative. I encourage more cities to join us in prioritizing community health first.”
NOX suffocates your brain, causing serious neurological harm, psychosis, even death. Student use is currently on the rise. Local neurologists report an increasing number of patients with neuropathy and tingling feet and hands. To report any nitrous oxide canisters sold in stores across the county – whether at a grocery store, smoke shop, a liquor store, a sex shop, or a costume closet – call our office (714) 834-3550 or visit bit.ly/noxoc and report it.
The City of Newport Beach joins the County of Orange, and the Cities of Santa Ana and Costa Mesa in the prohibition of NOX.
For more information or to inquire about Vice Chair Foley’s media availability, please contact Latisha Townsend at (714) 559-8364.
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Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2022 to represent the newly established District 5, which includes the cities of Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Dana Point, a large portion of Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Newport Beach, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, as well as the unincorporated areas of Coto de Caza, Emerald Bay, Ladera Ranch, Las Flores, Rancho Mission Viejo, Stonecliffe and Wagon Wheel. This is her second term on the Board of Supervisors, where she previously served District 2.
Vice Chair Foley’s 2025 Board appointments include:
Chair – Orange County Housing Finance Trust,
Orange County Audit Oversight Committee,
Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA),
Vice Chair – OCTA Legislative and Communications Committee, Regional Transportation Committee,
Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency,
Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA), TCA Joint Capital Improvements and Projects Committee,
San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) Community Engagement Panel,
Co-Chair – Spent Fuel Solutions Coalition,
Orange County Public Libraries Advisory Board, Coastal Greenbelt Authority,
Newport Bay and South Orange County Watershed Executive Committees,
Ocean Institute, Orange County Community Corrections
Partnership (OCCCP), Santa Ana River Flood Control Protection Agency,
and the Orange County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council
