I
agree with the author of the article, David Sheff. He believes that there
should be “Good Samaritan” laws for people who call 911 to report a drug
overdose. Sheff has personal experience with drug overdose. His son, Nic, was
fifteen minutes away from dying from an overdose. But, Nic was saved, all
because someone called 911 to get him help. Sheff says, “I don’t know who
called the paramedics, but not a day goes by when I don’t thank him.”
I
believe that being irresponsible with drugs can only lead to bad things. The
problem is that drugs are addicting. The terrible thing is that when a person has
overdosed on drugs, they are virtually helpless. If there are other people
present, they are their only hope. But, the articles says, “research suggests
that, among those who witness an overdose, the most common reason people don’t
call for help is the fear of being arrested.” Sheff made a good point by
telling the story of a man’s son who wasn’t as lucky as Nic had been. His
friends didn’t want to get caught for abusing drugs, because in the United
States drug laws are incredibly severe and can result in long jail time. So,
instead of calling 911, they put the overdosed boy in a bathtub full of ice—an ill-advised
method that they had seen on TV. The boy died.
Deaths
caused by drug overdoses keep rising in the United States. They “have more than
tripled since 1990, leading to over 38,000 deaths in the United States in 2010.”
And, drug overdose is the leading cause of nonnatural death in the country. These
astounding statistics create all the more need for “Good Samaritan” laws,
because above all, the “Good Samaritan” laws are certain to save lives.
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