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NC Harm Reduction Coalition

NC Harm Reduction Coalition

Dedicated to the implementation of harm reduction interventions, public health strategies, drug policy transformation, and justice reform in North Carolina and throughout the American South.

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911 Good Samaritan and Naloxone Law in NC

FACT SHEET FOR DOWNLOAD: CLICK HERE

OVERDOSE PREVENTION LAW IN NC

NC has passed multiple overdose prevention laws that have included 911 Good Samaritan law and naloxone access components, including 2013’s SB20, 2015’s SB154 and 2017’s HB243.

The 911 Good Samaritan laws state that individuals who experience a drug overdose or persons who witness an overdose and seek help for the victim can no longer be prosecuted for possession of small amounts of drugs, paraphernalia, or underage drinking.  The purpose of the law is to remove the fear of criminal repercussions for calling 911 to report an overdose, and to instead focus efforts on getting help to the victim.  Also, a person who seeks medical assistance for someone experiencing a drug overdose cannot be considered in violation of a condition of parole, probation, or post-release, even if that person was arrested. The victim is also protected. The caller must provide his/her name to 911 or law enforcement to qualify for the immunity. 

The naloxone access portion removes civil liabilities from doctors who prescribe and bystanders who administer naloxone, or Narcan, an opiate antidote which reverses drug overdose from opiates, thereby saving the life of the victim.  The legislation also allows community based organizations to dispense naloxone under the guidance of a medical provider. As a result, officers may encounter people who use opiates and their loved ones carrying overdose reversal kits that may include naloxone vials and 3cc syringes.  Pharmacists are also immune from civil or criminal liability for dispensing naloxone to people at risk of an opioid overdose.

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Related

  • Overdose Prevention
  • Getting Naloxone From NCHRC
  • Overdose Prevention
  • Post Overdose Follow Up
  • Overdose Prevention Fact Sheets
  • NC MAT Naloxone Access Partnerships
  • Georgia Overdose Prevention
  • Georgia OD Prevention and Naloxone Brochure
  • Overdose Prevention Program Guidelines
  • Speed Overdose (Overamping)

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Testimonials

“The help I got from the harm reduction program was more than just clean equipment, it was about being with people who didn’t judge me for my addiction, and who really wanted to help.”
~ Sam, a 50-year-old former drug user and sex worker in Carrboro, NC

“Too often, drug users suffer discrimination, are forced to accept treatment, marginalized, and often harmed by approaches which over-emphasize criminalization and punishment while under-emphasizing harm reduction and respect for human rights. This is despite the longstanding evidence that a harm reduction approach is the most effective way of protecting rights, limiting personal suffering, and reducing the incidence of HIV.”
~ Navanethem Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, March 10, 2009

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NC Harm Reduction Coalition

4024 Barrett Dr.
Suite 101
Raleigh, NC 27609
Email: Executive.Director@nchrc.org

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