Youth Poisoning Protection Act

The Youth Poisoning Protection Act would ban the sale of consumer products containing high concentrations of sodium nitrite (10 percent or more by weight) by classifying them as banned hazardous products under the Consumer Product Safety Act. Sodium nitrite is a substance used to cure meat and medically to treat cyanide poisoning, but it is extremely lethal if ingested and has been associated with poisoning deaths. The bill passed the House on April 29, 2025, with strong bipartisan support and is now being considered by the Senate.

The ban would apply only to consumer products sold to individuals and would not restrict business-to-business sales, sales to universities and schools for educational and research purposes, or the use of sodium nitrite in regulated drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, food products, or meat products. According to the Congressional Budget Office, implementing and enforcing the ban would cost approximately $2 million over the 2025-2030 period, and the private-sector costs would be minimal since only a small consumer market exists for such products and some states have already restricted their sale.