April 25, 2022
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28-year-old man dies of overdose because law made friends afraid to call 911|Opinion - Yahoo Money

Friends and family of people who use drugs should be equpped with all the tools needed to save lives—including access to naloxone (the overdose reversal medication) and the ability to call for help without fear of prosecution.
Friends and family of people who use drugs should be equpped with all the tools needed to save lives—including access to naloxone (the overdose reversal medication) and the ability to call for help without fear of prosecution.

Last spring, a 28-year-old man in East Liverpool became one of nearly 5,000 Ohioans who lost their lives to drug overdose in 2021.

This man’s life could have been saved if his friends had called 911 in time. But they waited too long. By the time paramedics arrived, he was gone.

Why did his friends wait to call for help?

The short answer is fear. The house they were in was full of people on parole and probation, and drug paraphernalia was present. I

n Ohio, bystanders who call for help can be charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, and people on parole or probation are not protected by Ohio’s “Good Samaritan” law.

Designed to prevent overdose deaths, Good Samaritan policies provide immunity from drug charges for bystanders who call for help. But Ohio’s Good Samaritan law is riddled with limitations and complexities that render it almost useless.

As a result, the friends of the man in East Liverpool feared that they would be arrested if the police arrived. So they carried him outside and tried to revive him on their own before calling 911.

Studies find that fear of arrest is a common barrier to calling 911 during an overdose and that those with knowledge of their state’s Good Samaritan law are more likely to call for help.

A strong Good Samaritan law is an important part of a comprehensive policy response that respects the dignity of all people and acknowledges the complex reality of the current phase of the overdose epidemic.

Amy Bush Stevens is vice president of the Health Policy Institute of Ohio.
Amy Bush Stevens is vice president of the Health Policy Institute of Ohio.

Ohio legislators now have a chance to improve Ohio’s Good Samaritan law in ways that would save lives.

A massive criminal justice reform bill recently introduced in the Ohio Senate (Senate Bill 288) includes a provision to extend Good Samaritan protections to drug paraphernalia possession.

'They passed as many as 3 hospitals': What's wrong with Good Sam 911 overdose laws?

This is a good start for improving Ohio’s law. The law could be further strengthened by removing restrictions on the number of times a bystander can receive immunity (currently only twice) and by extending protection to people on parole and probation.

The bottom line is that a simplified would save lives by empowering families and communities in the fight against fentanyl.

According to data, since 2016, fentanyl and related drugs have been the most common drugs present in unintentional overdose deaths in Ohio. Fentanyl can kill quickly and requires a rapid, simplified response to overdose prevention.

Friends and family of people who use drugs are on the front lines and should be equipped with all the tools needed to save lives—including (the overdose reversal medication) and the ability to call for help without fear of being caught up in the criminal justice system.

This year does not need to be for drug overdoses in our state. As Ohioans, we are all bystanders to these deaths. We have many tools at hand to make sure that when people ask for help, they are met with empathy and encouragement, rather than fear and punishment.



source: https://money.yahoo.com/amphtml/28-old-man-dies-overdose-153353921.html

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