As part of an investigation into the illicit use of nitrous oxide, a Daily Cardinal reporter contacted Badger Welding Supply Inc. Monday morning in search of a commercial-size tank full of the gas. Badger Welding, which peddles nitrous oxide to area hospitals, would not sell one to us because we were not properly licensed.
Paul Kemnitzer, a Badger Welding employee who handled our call, said acquiring a nitrous oxide tank is
ot very easy.""
""This stuff is controlled by the FDA,"" he said. ""There is a long trail of paper with this stuff.""
Badger Welding conducts a thorough investigation of all its potential nitrous oxide buyers, Office Manager Linda Striefss said. Usually, only doctors qualify to legally purchase a tank of nitrous oxide.
Kemnitzer refuses to sell a tank to customers who say they want it for ""personal reasons.""
""It's not hard to tell (who is legitimate),"" Striefss said.
She investigates nitrous oxide requests by checking credit references of each buyer. For example, she may call a scalpel company to verify that a customer is a doctor. If the buyer is not licensed, Badger Welding will not sell the tank.
