Good Samaritan Policy Aims to Prevent Drug Overdoses
 
(Liverpool, NY) The State University of New York Student Assembly passed a resolution calling on administrators at all 64 SUNY schools to craft policies that encourage students to call for help during life-threatening situations. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a statewide 911 Good Samaritan Bill in New York in 2011, and students want public university policies to be consistent with state law.
 
The resolution is receiving widespread support as universities across the state are adopting Good Samaritan Policies.
 
“Overdose deaths happen on college campuses constantly, and many of them can be prevented if we take action,” said Wendy Cohen, vice president of SUNY New Paltz Students for Sensible Drug Policy. “In life or death situations, students need to be guaranteed by administrators that a call for help won’t get them in trouble. Otherwise, panicked students may hesitate to call for help, which could result in dire consequences for someone overdosing on alcohol or other drugs.”
 
Universities across the nation are taking steps to prevent deaths from overdose, but there are only three SUNY schools that have Good Samaritan policies.
 
“We need to make sure the new state law protects students on college campuses by putting it in each university’s Student Handbook,” Alberto Aquino, regional representative student representative of SUNY New Paltz, said. By passing this resolution, the Student Assembly hopes that every college will change their Student Handbook to include the Good Samaritan Policy.
 
For the full text of the proposal and for more information visit StudentAssembly.org.
 
Students for Sensible Drug Policy is an international grassroots network of students who are concerned about the impact drug abuse has on our communities, but who also know that the War on Drugs is failing our generation and our society. SSDP mobilizes and empowers young people to participate in the political process, pushing for sensible policies to achieve a safer and more just future, while fighting back against counterproductive Drug War policies, particularly those that directly harm students and youth.