DURHAM, N.C. — There’s a push to expand North Carolina’s Good Samaritan Law. Currently, people who call 911 to report an overdose have some legal protections but some harm reduction advocates say those protections should be expanded to help save even more lives.
“I mean, you just knew when she hugged you that everything was right and all was good in the world,” Randy Abbott, a recovery resource advocate for the Alcohol/Drug Council of NC, said.
It’s been eight years since Abbott’s family changed forever.
“In January of 2015, we lost our daughter Vanessa at 24 years old to an accidental heroin overdose,” Abbott said. “The group she was with panicked and did not dial 911 immediately. They took the time to clean the house of any drugs or paraphernalia and allowed others to leave the scene, potentially putting themselves and others in danger due to the fact that they were under the influence themselves.”
That tragedy is what sparked his advocacy work and led to his current role at the Alcohol/Drug Council of North Carolina.
“I want people who are going through it, who are struggling now, to understand what that means. I want the families to know. I want the individuals to know. Vanessa felt like she was alone in this, but she wasn’t,” Abbott said.
He’s been advocating to change the state’s Good Samaritan Law and educate people about it.
“People have to know that it's out there. And right now I venture to say people don't even know what we currently have, what currently exists,” Abbott said.
The law is designed to remove fear of criminal charges for calling 911 to report an overdose and instead focus on helping the victim. Abbott says the law can protect against prosecution but not arrest. He believes that and other parts of the law should change in order to save even more lives.
“We're trying to expand that to include more drugs, larger amounts, because right now the amounts that are covered are really what someone would have if they're a daily user. So include more drugs, but also arrest and prosecution, you would be protected from,” Abbott said.
Abbott says some people are hesitant to expand the law because they still want someone to be held accountable, but he believes the changes could be worth it to prevent more overdose deaths.
“We have to meet people where they are and start to end the stigmas that still surround addiction and mental health,” Abbott said.
There’s also a naloxone access component to the Good Samaritan Law. That portion removes civil liabilities from bystanders who administer naloxone or Narcan to reverse a drug overdose.
This year, a bill was passed in the House that includes revising the Good Samaritan Immunity Law for possession of less than one gram of any controlled substance. That bill has been waiting on action from the Senate since March 23.
