Bills To Reduce Drug Overdose Deaths Head To Gov. Snyder’s Desk
“Good Samaritan” bills protect people with drugs who seek medical help for others.
Photo of the Michigan State Capitol building.
Photo credit: Jake Neher, WDET
If you want to call 9-1-1 to report an overdose, you could soon be able to do that without fear of prosecution for drug possession.
A new set of bills would expand the current “Good Samaritan” law. Right now, the law only protects people under 21 – and only for prescription drug overdose.
The bills on their way to the governor’s desk would include anyone, no matter their age, and all controlled substances.
State Rep. Al Pscholka (R-Stevensville) is one of the bills’ sponsors.
“As I’ve told people here, look, there’s only a handful of bills that we vote on every year that are literally life or death,” he said. “This is one of them.”
Pscholka said it took time to bring different law enforcement agencies on board. However, he said, “I think as they’ve seen this problem explode there’s certainly a realization that this will literally save people’s lives.”
Pscholka said he believes Gov. Rick Snyder will sign the bills.
