G.D. Hancock, Ph.D.
Pennsylvania has one law on supplying drugs that cause a death.
Intentionally administering, dispensing, delivering, giving, prescribing, selling or distributing a controlled substance in violation of the drug act when another person dies as a result of using it.
Pennsylvania's official statute site did not display these sections to our checks; the links go to FindLaw's copy.
A person who reports an overdose in good faith to police, 911 or emergency services, gives their name and location and stays, or who brings someone overdosing to police or a health facility, is immune from prosecution for possession, paraphernalia and related offenses and for probation or parole violations; the person who overdosed shares the protection. It does not cover delivery or drug delivery resulting in death.
Statute: 35 Pa. Stat. § 780-113.7
Does calling for help protect against the drug-death charge? No.
The Good Samaritan law does not list the drug-death offense, so it does not protect against that charge.
Whatever the law says, if someone is overdosing, call 911. A life comes first. More on calling 911.
Federal law applies in every state. When death or serious bodily injury results from using a Schedule I or II drug that a person distributed, federal law sets a mandatory minimum of 20 years and a maximum of life. Federal prosecutors can bring this charge whatever the state law says. (21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A)-(C))
34 cases in the published sample of the drug-induced homicide case database were prosecuted in Pennsylvania. The database is still being built; the complete version will be published when it is finished.
Links to FindLaw go to its copy of the state’s code, used where the official code is published only through LexisNexis or will not display without JavaScript.
This page describes what the statutes say, as of 7 October 2026. It is not legal advice, and it can’t tell you how a court will apply the law to any particular case. Laws change; check the statute, and please speak to a lawyer in Pennsylvania about your own situation.