Get Active Subscribe Support Us

LAW HELPS PREVENT OVERDOSE DEATHS

Any unexpected death is a devastating blow, but losing a loved one to an accidental drug overdose carries a unique burden - stigma, whispers, shame and the loss of support from friends and neighbors.  I lost my son Michael to a drug overdose in 2012.  Michael was a vibrant, well educated, working professional.  He was in recovery from substance abuse and proud of where he was in his life, but as with most people who struggle with drug addiction, he relapsed.  My life has never been the same since.

In North Carolina, approximately 1,100 people pass away annually from drug overdose.  Thankfully, the N.C.  Legislature has responded to this issue with a forward-thinking 911 Good Samaritan/Naloxone Access Law that went into effect April 9.  The law permits bystanders and victims at the scene of an overdose to call emergency services with limited immunity from criminal charges, including possession of small amounts of drugs and paraphernalia.  It encourages doctors and bystanders to prescribe and administer the overdose reversal drug, naloxone, to people who take opiates ( painkillers ) by removing the risk of civil liabilities.  Additionally, community programs such as the N.C.  Harm Reduction Coalition are now able to distribute naloxone to people at risk for overdose and their loved ones under a doctor's standing order.

Some may argue that such laws provide a carte blanche for addicts to continue engaging in destructive behaviors.  However, if a case for personal responsibility has a place in discussions about drug abuse it should not be after someone has fallen into respiratory failure and is minutes away from flat lining.  The 911 Good Samaritan/Naloxone Access law puts lives first.  It doesn't take away the consequences of bad behavior, but allows people to live long enough to learn from them.  Learn about the law.  Save a life.

DIANNEE CARDEN GLENN

Greenville