A Member's Bill in the name of Green Party MP Kahurangi Carter which aims to prevent deaths from drug overdose, the Drug Overdose (Assistance Protection) Legislation Bill, has been pulled from Parliament's 'biscuit tin' today.
"If someone is experiencing or witnessing a drug overdose, they should receive healthcare, not handcuffs," says the Green Party's Drug Reform spokesperson, Kahurangi Carter.
"Whatever the situation, when an overdose occurs, the priority must be to save lives, not to punish those seeking emergency assistance.
"We know that too often, people hesitate to call for help out of fear they or others may be criminally prosecuted.
"On average, almost three people die per week from an accidental drug overdose. These deaths are preventable.
"If passed, this would provide legal protection for anyone experiencing an overdose or adverse drug reaction, anyone who calls emergency services to get help, and anyone incidentally present at the scene.
"We're calling on the Government to support this Bill to ensure that people are never afraid to pick up the phone when it matters most.
"Fatal overdoses are preventable. This Bill makes clear in law that when in doubt, you should always call for help," says Kahurangi Carter.
- The latest edition of the Drug Foundation's Overdose Prevention Plan (which can be found here) calls for "Establishing 'Good Samaritan' laws. These are provisions that remove the possibility of charging a person for drug-related offences, when they were assisting someone experiencing an overdose or an adverse drug reaction. These changes in the law must be communicated to the communities of people who use drugs, so they understand they are not at risk when they call an ambulance or assist someone in an overdose". Page 7, Point 5: 'Policy Responses'.
- The United States and Canada have forms of this 'Good Samaritan' law . Some studies found after these laws were implemented, there was a 10-15 per cent reduction in opioid overdose deaths - this would translate to 19-28 lives being saved each year in Aotearoa.
