Reporting overdoses can help save lives
2:32 AM, Sep. 1, 2011
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Drug problems and drug overdoses largely go ignored in our society. We insist on "abstinence-only" drug education, despite its failed track record, and concentrate the vast majority of our resources on threatening — not helping — drug users.
Even though overdose is a top cause of death for both young people and adults, not many people realize that New York is one of the few states in the country where there are more deaths from accidental drug overdoses than traffic fatalities. In fact, there were more than 1,350 overdose deaths caused by drugs or alcohol in 2008 alone in our state.
One big reason for so many unintentional overdose deaths is that drug and alcohol users are afraid to call 911 to save an overdose victim, for fear of prosecution. A study done in New York City showed that 52 percent of people who didn't call for help in emergency situations involving illegal drug or alcohol use cited fear of police involvement as the number one reason they chose not to call. Since approximately 85 percent of drug and alcohol overdoses happen when someone else is around, encouraging friends to call could save hundreds, if not thousands, of lives per year in New York.
Students for Sensible Drug Policy at Ithaca College has been working on fixing this issue on the campus and state level with success.
At Ithaca College, we worked with the school and student government on adopting the medical amnesty policy that grants amnesty to students who call for medical assistance for someone under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Just this summer, our group played a major role in passing the 911 Good Samaritan Law, which was signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on July 20 and will take effect Sept. 18. The law passed 62-0 in the Senate and 140-2 in the Assembly. It protects witnesses of drug or alcohol overdoses or other life-threatening medical emergencies, who call 911 for help, from being charged or prosecuted for drug or alcohol possession. So starting on Sept. 18, making the call to save your friend will no longer come with a risk of being charged for drug or alcohol possession.
Aug. 31 was International Overdose Awareness Day, so take this week to help spread knowledge about this new law to your friends and family to help reduce these 100-percent preventable deaths. Ithaca College, Cornell University, Tompkins Cortland Community College, Elmira College and now New York have adopted some form of amnesty for reporting overdose, but these policies can only save the lives of people you know if you tell them about it.
Nison is president of Ithaca College Students for Sensible Drug Policy.
2:32 AM, Sep. 1, 2011
======================================================
Drug problems and drug overdoses largely go ignored in our society. We insist on "abstinence-only" drug education, despite its failed track record, and concentrate the vast majority of our resources on threatening — not helping — drug users.
Even though overdose is a top cause of death for both young people and adults, not many people realize that New York is one of the few states in the country where there are more deaths from accidental drug overdoses than traffic fatalities. In fact, there were more than 1,350 overdose deaths caused by drugs or alcohol in 2008 alone in our state.
One big reason for so many unintentional overdose deaths is that drug and alcohol users are afraid to call 911 to save an overdose victim, for fear of prosecution. A study done in New York City showed that 52 percent of people who didn't call for help in emergency situations involving illegal drug or alcohol use cited fear of police involvement as the number one reason they chose not to call. Since approximately 85 percent of drug and alcohol overdoses happen when someone else is around, encouraging friends to call could save hundreds, if not thousands, of lives per year in New York.
Students for Sensible Drug Policy at Ithaca College has been working on fixing this issue on the campus and state level with success.
At Ithaca College, we worked with the school and student government on adopting the medical amnesty policy that grants amnesty to students who call for medical assistance for someone under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Just this summer, our group played a major role in passing the 911 Good Samaritan Law, which was signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on July 20 and will take effect Sept. 18. The law passed 62-0 in the Senate and 140-2 in the Assembly. It protects witnesses of drug or alcohol overdoses or other life-threatening medical emergencies, who call 911 for help, from being charged or prosecuted for drug or alcohol possession. So starting on Sept. 18, making the call to save your friend will no longer come with a risk of being charged for drug or alcohol possession.
Aug. 31 was International Overdose Awareness Day, so take this week to help spread knowledge about this new law to your friends and family to help reduce these 100-percent preventable deaths. Ithaca College, Cornell University, Tompkins Cortland Community College, Elmira College and now New York have adopted some form of amnesty for reporting overdose, but these policies can only save the lives of people you know if you tell them about it.
Nison is president of Ithaca College Students for Sensible Drug Policy.
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theithacajournal.com/article/20110901/VIEWPOINTS02/109010337/Reporting-overdoses-can-help-save-liv
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