S582

Senate Print 582, sponsored by Sen. Hoylman-Sigal and amending the General Business Law, was laid aside on the Senate floor. Sen. Lanza moved to set the bill aside, and Acting President Persaud granted the motion without debate or a vote.

The New York State Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would prohibit the sale of sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate to anyone under 21, aiming to reduce youth suicide rates. Senate Print 582, sponsored by Sen. Hoylman-Sigal, passed 48-14 on a roll call vote. The bill targets compounds readily available online through retailers like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy that have been increasingly used in suicide attempts. Sen. Hoylman-Sigal cited data showing a 45 percent increase in suicide among ages 15-24 since 2009, with 47 cases of suicide attempts involving these compounds reported to the National Poison Data System between 2019 and 2022. The measure drew opposition from Sen. Oberacker, a food scientist, who argued sodium nitrite is an essential food preservative used in cured meats to prevent botulism and is applied in tiny quantities—just one ounce per 25 pounds of meat. Oberacker expressed concern the bill would burden home food producers and suggested education and monitoring of larger quantities would be more appropriate. Hoylman-Sigal countered that the bill does not ban the compounds, only restricts youth access, and noted that major online platforms have already voluntarily limited sales after recognizing their connection to suicide deaths. The bill takes effect 30 days after becoming law.