Albany police arrested a driver whom they allegedly saw inhaling nitrous oxide in a car idling in the middle of the street, where officers also found 85 large canisters, as California advances a ban on retail sales of oversized canisters.
Police officers responding to reports of an impaired driver near Buchanan and Pierce streets in the East Bay city of Albany last week say they witnessed the suspect nearby allegedly inhaling nitrous oxide while the vehicle was sitting in the middle of the street with the engine running, as KRON4 reports.
The police department said there were also 85 large nitrous oxide canisters inside the car. They arrested the driver on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and unlawful possession.
As SFist reported in February, San Francisco Supervisor Danny Sauter is pushing to ban the sale of nitrous oxide gas citywide.
Last month, the California Senate advanced a bill on a bipartisan 32-0 vote that would ban the public sale of nitrous oxide canisters larger than 8 grams, with exceptions for legitimate uses in the medical, dental, culinary, and automotive industries, according to a news release from state Senator Catherine S. Blakespear, who represents portions of San Diego and Orange counties. The legislation is now headed for the state Assembly.
The news release also notes that Humboldt, Orange, San Mateo, and Santa Cruz counties have already banned the retail sale of nitrous, aka whippits.
According to the site Guessing Headlights, the San Diego County District Attorney's Office issued a public safety warning last fall after filing three fatal nitrous oxide DUI cases within an 11-month span, compared with none the previous year.
Police departments in other Southern California counties have also reported steep increases in nitrous oxide arrests and related incidents in recent years.
Related: SF Supervisor Wants to Ban the Sale of Nitrous Oxide in San Francisco
Image: Albany Police Department/Facebook
