A Need for a Reexamination and Communication of Good Samaritan Laws in the Wake of Rising Overdoses Involving Stimulants

Good Samaritan Overdose Prevention Laws (GSL) vary by state and are designed to provide legal protections for individuals seeking, and in some cases receiving, help for victims of drug-related overdoses. Although these laws are well intended, research has shown that police as well as people who use drugs have limited awareness and understanding of the specific provisions within state-specific laws. In addition, the laws are often complex, convoluted, and are generally geared towards overdoses involving opioids or the rescue agonist naloxone. With the rise in overdoses involving stimulants, there exists a need to broaden their scope, make them as simplistic as possible, and educate law enforcement and the general public about their existence. The lack of awareness and complexity of these laws have called into question whether they are having the intended effects of reducing overdoses and likelihood of arrests for people who call 911 despite legal protections. If legal protections such as GSL are not written effectively and communicated well to law enforcement and community members, they are unlikely to meet their intended goals, and might serve to reduce the use of emergency medical services.

The purpose of this panel is to: (1) utilize data from a nationally representative sample of law enforcement agencies and state-specific GSLs to examine whether these laws reduce criminal justice involvement or drug overdose deaths, (2) discuss several key recommendations for expanding legal provisions that include stimulants, and (3) discuss ways in which to bring GSL awareness to law enforcement and the community.