Kean Hosts Roundtable on Preventing Nitrous Oxide Misuse
(August 28, 2026) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) held a roundtable with constituents, first responders, medical professionals, non-profit representatives, and local leadership to discuss the prevention of nitrous oxide misuse. The discussion coincided with the introduction of Congressman Kean’s bipartisan legislation, co-led with Congressman Gottheimer (NJ-05), the Mitigating Abuse of Nitrous-oxide Nationwide and Reducing Inhalation-Related Neurological Outcomes (MANNARINO) Act, which aims to save lives and protect Americans by restricting recreational access to hazardous nitrous oxide products. These products can also be known as laughing gas, whippets, or Galaxy Gas.
“Today we honor the memory of John Robert Mannarino by working to prevent other families from experiencing the harms of nitrous oxide misuse,” said Congressman Kean (NJ-07). “Nitrous oxide whippets and tanks, widely available in corner stores and online, pose a danger to the community and must be treated accordingly. After hearing John’s story, I introduced the MANNARINO Act to raise awareness of the dangers of nitrous oxide and prevent future tragedies from occurring. Thank you to the Mannarino family for bringing this important issue forward and attending this roundtable discussion.”
"Nitrous oxide, or ‘whippets,’ are far from harmless — abuse can cause paralysis, nervous system failure, and death. That's why I'm teaming up with Rep. Kean on this bipartisan bill to help states crack down on the sale of nitrous oxide, ban flavored versions marketed to kids, and put real teeth behind these protections. We owe it to every Jersey family to close this loophole before more damage is done and more lives are lost,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05).
“Our family is living with a tremendous loss that can never be replaced because of the misuse of nitrous oxide,” said the Mannarino family. “We lost our loving son, brother, and husband, John, and while we cannot bring him back, we can fight to prevent another family from experiencing this devastating tragedy. We hope Congress will act now to protect lives and ensure that what happened to our family does not happen to another.”
“Thank you to Congressman Kean and the Mannarino family for bringing this issue to our attention,” said Bridgewater Councilman Timothy Ring. “I hope to see more discussion on ways to prevent the misuse of substances from the start rather than only after a crisis has occurred. As a councilman and volunteer EMT of nearly 40 years, I will continue to work towards more education on the symptoms, signs, and effects of nitrous oxide.”
“The courage of the Mannarino family is inspiring, but it’s so sad that it often takes a tragedy to drive change,” said Andi Williams, Executive Director of CiC for Prevention and Recovery. “Education around the risks and availability of these harmful substances is critical and, with the support of leaders like Congressman Kean and with adequate funding from the administration, precious young lives can be saved. At CiC, we have brought about a documented reduction in youth substance use in the communities we serve showing that it is possible to drive that change. I was grateful to be a part of today’s conversation and to witness a group of changemakers committed to these efforts.”
“Congressman Kean is right to raise this important public health issue. Nitrous Oxide abuse is a serious problem, impacting many families and most of all young people,” said Mental Health Association CEO Robert Davison.“Limiting its access and raising awareness about its negative and potentially deadly effects are important first steps in this important conversation. His bi-partisan bill and the highly engaging forum he facilitated today gives me hope we can make progress and protect people from the harmful effects of Nitrous Oxide.”
“As a Family Nurse Practitioner, school nurse, and former mayor, I know we are standing at the base of a public health mountain with nitrous oxide misuse, which has tripled in New Jersey,” said school nurse Lisa Lontai. “Because this gas clears the system in minutes, it is completely invisible on standard drug tests. It is absolutely critical that primary care and emergency clinicians immediately consider nitrous oxide as a differential diagnosis whenever a patient presents with unexplained neurological issues like tingling, numbness, or balance problems. Catching this early and starting aggressive medical treatment is the only way to prevent permanent nerve damage, and we urgently need Congressman Kean’s retail ban passed to stop this crisis from accelerating.”
“Two years ago, members of our youth coalition alerted us to Galaxy Gas after seeing it trending on TikTok,” said Executive Director of Prevention Services Erin Cohen. “Since then, we have been working to educate parents, school personnel, and the broader Hunterdon/Somerset community about the serious health risks involved. We thank Congressman Kean for his leadership on this issue and for honoring the Mannarino family's courage in turning their loss into action. Legislation like this is exactly what's needed to protect our community before more families experience this kind of tragedy.”
Background:
Nitrous oxide is being misused for recreational use with its harms largely unrealized. Its abuse can lead to heart attack, nerve damage, muscle spasms, numbness, birth defects, paralysis, and even death.
In November 2025, Bridgewater, New Jersey resident John Robert Mannarino lost his life, with nitrous oxide being a major contributing factor. After outreach from his family, Congressman Kean introduced the MANNARINO Act to restrict access to nitrous oxide by encouraging states to adopt laws restricting the sale of the product for recreational use.
This bill would:
- Encourage states to adopt laws restricting the sale of nitrous oxide so that it is only used for legitimate purposes like medicine, dentistry, commercial food production, and others.
- Encourage states to ban the sale of all scented/flavored nitrous oxide.
- Close the loophole for nitrous oxide to be sold as a standalone “food propellant” to non-commercial users.
- Give the HHS Secretary authority to reduce federal grant funding to states that refuse to restrict this dangerous substance. This is a policy tool used to encourage states to set age limits on tobacco and alcohol use.
Last month, Congressman Kean spoke in a Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade subcommittee hearing about the dangers of nitrous oxide. Watch HERE.
In response to constituent concerns about the accessibility of nitrous oxide products, Congressman Kean wrote a letter to corporations expressing concern about the sale of these products in their stores. Read the letter HERE.
A copy of the bill text is available HERE.
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