The Suquamish Tribe paves the way for statewide law banning the sale of nitrous oxide

On March 24, 2026, Gov. Bob Ferguson signed into law a ban on the unauthorized sale of nitrous oxide. Standing alongside him were members of the Suquamish Tribe who were instrumental in the bill’s success. 

“The Suquamish Tribe took bold action to protect our people against this product by banning it on our reservation,” said Suquamish Tribal Council Member Azure Boure, who is also the Traditional Plants & Medicine Coordinator for the tribe. “This new statewide law strengthens what we already had in place.” 

Nitrous oxide is often sold at convenience stores, comes in flavors such as watermelon and bubblegum, and has no age restriction. Use of the unregulated product can cause weakness, lasting nerve damage, and even death. Last year, as use of the substance became more prevalent in the Suquamish community, tribal government staff brought concerns to Tribal Council, which quickly responded. 

The tribe’s ban, which went into effect in September 2025, prohibits the sale of nitrous oxide on the Port Madison Reservation. 

“The Suquamish Tribe acted under our own sovereign authority to address this issue because we saw nitrous oxide harming our youth and our community,” said Suquamish Community Health Program Manager and tribal member Jeff Riggins. 

While the ban on the reservation was a good first step, it did not prevent stores on neighboring lands from selling the substance. 

“I had no idea how big of a problem this was until the Suquamish Tribe reached out,” Sen. Drew Hansen said in a statement. Hansen, along with fellow Washington lawmakers Sen. Jeff Holy, and Reps. Joe Timmons and Dan Griffey, introduced legislation to ban the sale of nitrous oxide. Boure and Riggins, along with Tribal Council Secretary Irene Carper, testified in Olympia on behalf of the bill. 

The bill passed both chambers, and the governor signed it into law on March 24, 2026. 

“Today shows what it looks like when the tribe leads, and the state follows through,” said Riggins. “At the end of the day, this is about protecting lives and making our tribal community and the entire state healthier.” 

 

 

Washington House Bill 2532 makes the unauthorized sale or distribution of nitrous oxide a gross misdemeanor.