Mother pushes for change after police say son died from nitrous oxide-impaired driver

Candi Morris knows nitrous oxide well; as the office manager at Dental Expressions in Moore, she’s familiar with its use as “laughing gas” to calm anxious patients. But outside the dentist’s office, she says, it’s far too easy for the public to access.

"This does not need to be in the hands of the public," Morris said.

Sold in bright packaging under names like "Whip Trip" and "Galaxy Gas," pure nitrous oxide is available in bottles as large as 2 liters. Exploiting a legal loophole, retailers market it as a food-grade gas for making whipped cream, though many buyers use it as a recreational high.

"These stores claim they’re selling it for whipped cream, but it sounds like the whole world is making a whole lot of whipped cream," Morris says.

Her fight against nitrous oxide abuse is personal. In Feb. 2024, her 18-year-old son, Maddix Bias, was a passenger in a car driven by Sutton Petz. Police say Petz was inhaling nitrous oxide while driving, lost consciousness, and crashed, taking Maddix’s life.

"He was just loving. He was good. The world needed more of him, and she took him from us," Morris says.

Now, she’s working with lawmakers to pass House Bill 1933, which would make it illegal to inhale, possess, buy, or sell nitrous oxide and related paraphernalia while still allowing its use in the medical and food industries.

"I can't bring him back, but I can stop this from happening to another mother," she says.

The bill, known as the Maddix Bias Act, has passed two committees and is now headed for the House floor.

Meanwhile, Petz is charged with DUI and first-degree manslaughter. Her next court hearing is set for May.

"Maddix Bias, a young man with a bright future, tragically lost his life due to another person's reckless abuse of nitrous oxide. House Bill 1933, named in Maddix's honor, aims to prevent such tragedies by making it illegal to possess, sell or use nitrous oxide for the purpose of intoxication. While safe in healthcare settings under strict controls, nitrous oxide is relatively harmless, however, when misused, it can cause permanent brain, nerve, spinal cord damage and death. It's unacceptable that a substance with intended medical purposes is so easily available for recreational abuse and is being advertised to our youth as something that is harmless. This bill seeks to protect Oklahomans from this dangerous risk." – Rep. Danny Sterling (R- Tecumseh).