Washington relaxes drug laws for 911 calls

A new law in Washington aims to encourage people to report drug overdoses by giving them limited immunity.

The new legislation, dubbed the “911 Good Samaritan” law is aimed at getting immediate medical aid to someone suffering from a drug overdose. The law grants limited immunity to people who call 911 to get help for anyone showing signs of an overdose. It is based on a similar piece of legislation enacted in New Mexico in 2007.

Some people who witness a drug overdose are reluctant to call for fear of being arrested, proponents said. Opponents of the law fear it will be used as a loophole by drug dealers and users to avoid prosecution.

Under the new law, people will not be charged with drug possession if police obtained evidence for the charge only because the person called 911. The victim also won’t be charged with drug possession.

The law doesn’t offer protection from any other criminal charges.

Read more about the new law here.

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