scholarly journals Knowledge of Good Samaritan Laws and Beliefs About Arrests Among Persons Who Inject Drugs a Year After Policy Change in Baltimore, Maryland

2020 ◽  
Vol 135 (3) ◽  
pp. 393-400
Author(s):  
Kristin E. Schneider ◽  
Ju Nyeong Park ◽  
Sean T. Allen ◽  
Brian W. Weir ◽  
Susan G. Sherman
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Policy Change ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Multivariate Model ◽  
Persons Who Inject Drugs ◽  
Good Samaritan ◽  
Accurate Knowledge ◽  
Drug Arrests ◽  
Overdose Deaths ◽  
Good Samaritan Laws

Objectives Delivering and receiving prompt medical care during an overdose are imperative to ensure survival. Good Samaritan laws encourage people to call 911 during an overdose by providing immunity from selected drug arrests (eg, low-level possession). However, it is unclear whether persons who inject drugs (PWID) are aware of and understand these laws and their implications. We examined awareness among PWID of the 2015 Good Samaritan law in Maryland and their beliefs about whether they could be arrested for calling 911 or having an overdose. Methods We surveyed 298 PWID in Baltimore, Maryland. We estimated the proportion who knew what the Good Samaritan law addressed and who believed they could be arrested for calling 911 or overdosing. We used a multivariate model to assess the association between harm-reduction services and knowledge of the Good Samaritan law or beliefs about getting arrested for calling 911 or overdosing. Results Of PWID, 56 of 298 (18.8%) knew what the Good Samaritan law addressed, 43 of 267 (16.1%) believed they could be arrested for calling 911, and 32 of 272 (11.8%) believed they could be arrested for having an overdose. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, accessing the syringe services program was associated with accurate knowledge and the belief that PWID could be arrested for calling 911; however, training in overdose reversal was not associated. Conclusions Most PWID were unaware of the Good Samaritan law; this lack of awareness is a barrier to preventing overdose deaths. Educating PWID about Good Samaritan laws is essential, and such education should include police to ensure that law enforcement is congruent with Good Samaritan laws and does not perpetuate mistrust between police and PWID.

Knowledge of a Drug-Related Good Samaritan Law Among People Who Use Drugs, Vancouver, Canada

2021 ◽  
pp. 109019812199930
Author(s):  
Soroush Moallef ◽  
Kora DeBeck ◽  
M. J. Milloy ◽  
Julian Somers ◽  
Thomas Kerr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
The United States ◽  
People Who Use Drugs ◽  
Drug Dealing ◽  
Negative Experiences ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Good Samaritan ◽  
Accurate Knowledge ◽  
Multivariable Analyses ◽  
Good Samaritan Laws

Background Across the United States and Canada drug-related Good Samaritan laws (GSLs) have been enacted to encourage observers of acute drug overdose events to contact emergency medical services (EMS) without fear of legal repercussions. However, little is known about the working knowledge of GSLs among people who use illicit drugs (PWUD). We sought to evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with accurate knowledge of a GSL among PWUD in Vancouver, Canada, 1 year after the GSL was enacted. Method We used data from participants in three community-recruited prospective cohort studies of PWUD interviewed between June and November 2018. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with accurate knowledge of the GSL. Results Among 1,258 participants, including 760 males (60%), 358 (28%) had accurate knowledge of the GSL. In multivariable analyses, participants who reported ever having a negative police encounter (defined as being stopped, searched, or detained by the police) were less likely to have accurate knowledge of the GSL (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.70; 95% CI [0.54, 0.90]), while those involved in drug dealing were more likely to have accurate knowledge of the GSL (AOR = 1.50; 95% CI [1.06, 2.06]). Discussion Despite having been enacted for a full year, approximately three quarters of participants did not have accurate GSL knowledge, warranting urgent educational efforts among PWUD. Additional research is needed to understand whether GSLs can mitigate the fears of legal repercussions among those engaged in drug dealing and with past negative experiences with the police.

scholarly journals Good Samaritan laws and overdose mortality in the United States in the fentanyl era

2021 ◽  
Vol 97 ◽  
pp. 103294
Author(s):  
Leah Hamilton ◽  
Corey S. Davis ◽  
Nicole Kravitz-Wirtz ◽  
William Ponicki ◽  
Magdalena Cerdá
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Good Samaritan ◽  
Overdose Mortality ◽  
Good Samaritan Laws

scholarly journals Media Reports as a Tool for Timely Monitoring of COVID-19–Related Deaths Among First Responders—United States, April 2020

2021 ◽  
pp. 003335492199917
Author(s):  
Kaitlin Kelly-Reif ◽  
Jessica L. Rinsky ◽  
Sophia K. Chiu ◽  
Sherry Burrer ◽  
Marie A. de Perio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
First Responders ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Exposure Source ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Reports ◽  
In Fire ◽  
Traditional Surveillance

We aimed to describe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) deaths among first responders early in the COVID-19 pandemic. We used media reports to gather timely information about COVID-19–related deaths among first responders during March 30–April 30, 2020, and evaluated the sensitivity of media scanning compared with traditional surveillance. We abstracted information about demographic characteristics, occupation, underlying conditions, and exposure source. Twelve of 19 US public health jurisdictions with data on reported deaths provided verification, and 7 jurisdictions reported whether additional deaths had occurred; we calculated the sensitivity of media scanning among these 7 jurisdictions. We identified 97 COVID-19–related first-responder deaths during the study period through media and jurisdiction reports. Participating jurisdictions reported 5 deaths not reported by the media. Sixty-six decedents worked in law enforcement, and 31 decedents worked in fire/emergency medical services. Media reports rarely noted underlying conditions. The media scan sensitivity was 88% (95% CI, 73%-96%) in the subset of 7 jurisdictions. Media reports demonstrated high sensitivity in documenting COVID-19–related deaths among first responders; however, information on risk factors was scarce. Routine collection of data on industry and occupation could improve understanding of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality among all workers.

scholarly journals Good Samaritan Laws

1993 ◽  
Vol 68 (6) ◽  
pp. 620
Author(s):  
Robert D. Currier
Keyword(s):  
Good Samaritan ◽  
Good Samaritan Laws

Property Rights in Persons

1992 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 201-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Arneson
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
General Rule ◽  
Moral Fact ◽  
Good Samaritan ◽  
Legal Enforcement ◽  
Small Risk ◽  
Legal Situation ◽  
Car Accident ◽  
Broad Generalization ◽  
Good Samaritan Laws

In contemporary market societies, the laws (generally speaking) do not place individuals under enforceable obligations to aid others. Perhaps the most striking exception to this broad generalization is the practice of conscription of able-bodied males into military service, particularly in time of war. Another notable exception is the legal enforcement in some contemporary societies of “Good Samaritan” obligations — obligations to provide temporary aid to victims of emergencies, such as car accident victims. The obligation applies to those who are in the immediate vicinity of the emergency and who can supply aid of great value to the victim at small risk and tolerable cost to themselves. The fact that not all contemporary societies have enacted such Good Samaritan laws underscores the point that the general rule is that individuals are under no legal obligation to help others. According to some moral views, this legal situation approximately accords with the moral fact that persons who have not voluntarily incurred obligations to aid others should not be coerced into tendering such aid. Moreover, it is worth noting that these two prominent exceptions to the tendency of legal systems to eschew enforcement of positive obligations to aid others are plausibly in everyone's ex ante interest and not notably redistributive in intent.

HOW GOOD SAMARITAN LAWS DO DONʼT PROTECT YOU

Nursing ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-51
Author(s):  
CYNTHIA E. NORTHROP
Keyword(s):  
Good Samaritan ◽  
Good Samaritan Laws

Good Samaritan Laws

1965 ◽  
Vol 65 (9) ◽  
pp. 117-118
Author(s):  
NATHAN HERSHEY
Keyword(s):  
Good Samaritan ◽  
Good Samaritan Laws

scholarly journals Human Values as Determinants of Fairtrade Consumption in the Czech Republic

2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 465-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ondřej Částek ◽  
Linda Plaváková
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Fair Trade ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Ethical Consumption ◽  
Multivariate Model ◽  
Human Values ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Ethical Consumerism ◽  
On Line

Ethical consumerism is a growing field. It attracts increasingly more attention not only from the supply and demand sides, but also from researchers. Numerous surveys are trying to describe consumers’ behaviour; many studies are trying to identify and analyse what contributes to the higher ethical consumption. While this is also the case of the Czech Republic, empirical evidence focused on the effect of consumers’ values on ethical consumerism in the Czech Republic is still missing. Therefore, our goal is to examine the effect of consumers’ values on Fairtrade consumption in the Czech Republic. We measure the values through the Human Values Scale (developed by S. Schwartz) and use socio-demographic characteristics as control variables in a multivariate model. We find that Universalism and Power are values which can predict the frequency of Fairtrade purchases among Czech online Fairtrade shoppers. Along with Universalism, gender proves to be an important predictor too. While generalizing our results, we must bear in mind that our sample describes only those who do purchase Fair trade products on-line.

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