Does calling 911 protect you?

Sometimes, and only partly. Most states have overdose “Good Samaritan” laws, but most of them protect only against minor drug charges — not against charges for supplying the drugs, and not against a drug-induced homicide charge.

If someone is overdosing, call 911 anyway. A life comes first.

What Good Samaritan laws do

• As of May 2023, 48 states and the District of Columbia had at least one overdose Good Samaritan law (Network for Public Health Law).
• They typically protect the person who calls for help, and the person who overdosed, from arrest, charges or prosecution for possessing drugs or drug equipment (County Health Rankings & Roadmaps).
• They vary widely: in which offenses they cover, and in whether the protection applies before an arrest or only later, before trial (U.S. Government Accountability Office).
• They appear to save lives. The government’s review found a pattern of fewer opioid overdose deaths in states with these laws, and people were more likely to call 911 when they knew about them (U.S. Government Accountability Office).

What they usually do not cover

Most of these laws limit their protection to minor drug crimes. They do not extend to more serious drug crimes, and most do not protect against outstanding warrants (Network for Public Health Law).

So a person who called 911 can still be charged with supplying or sharing the drugs — and, if the person dies, with causing the death. These are state laws, so they do not stop federal prosecutors from bringing federal charges.

The laws change, and a few states have widened them. Check the law in your own state, or ask a lawyer.

Why calling still matters

• It can save a life. That outweighs everything else on this page.
• Delay can make a case worse. In several cases in the database, the official accounts single out how long it took to call for help — a woman who waited about 45 minutes and called a friend instead of 911, a man who delayed nearly six hours, and a man who waited about two hours.
• Naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose. Narcan nasal spray was approved for sale without a prescription in 2023 (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). If someone you love uses drugs, keep it at home and learn how to use it.