With a Little Help from My Friends: The Effects of Good Samaritan and Naloxone Access Laws on Opioid-Related Deaths

In an effort to address the opioid epidemic, a majority of states recently passed some version of a Good Samaritan law (GSL) and/or a naloxone access law (NAL). Good Samaritan laws provide immunity from prosecution for drug possession to anyone who seeks medical assistance in the event of a drug ove...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of law & economics 2019-02, Vol.62 (1), p.1-27
Main Authors: Rees, Daniel I., Sabia, Joseph J., Argys, Laura M., Dave, Dhaval, Latshaw, Joshua
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Access
Drug overdose
Friendship
Good samaritans
Immunity from prosecution
Legislation
Mortality
Naloxone
Narcotics
Opioids
Prosecutions
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Summary:In an effort to address the opioid epidemic, a majority of states recently passed some version of a Good Samaritan law (GSL) and/or a naloxone access law (NAL). Good Samaritan laws provide immunity from prosecution for drug possession to anyone who seeks medical assistance in the event of a drug overdose; NALs allow laypersons to administer naloxone, which temporarily counteracts the effects of an opioid overdose. Using data from the National Vital Statistics System multiple-cause-of-death mortality files for 1999–2014, this study is the first to examine the effects of these laws on overdose deaths involving opioids. The estimated effects of GSLs on opioid-related mortality are consistently negative but not statistically significant. Adoption of an NAL is associated with a statistically significant 9–10 percent reduction in opioid-related mortality, although the negative association between NALs and opioid-related mortality appears to be driven by early adopters—states that passed legislation before 2011.
ISSN:0022-2186
1537-5285
DOI:10.1086/700703