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

Schneider, Kristin E.; Park, Ju Nyeong; Allen, Sean T.; Weir, Brian W.; Sherman, Susan G.

doi:10.1177/0033354920915439

Cited by 35 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Beyond awareness, our ndings demonstrate that many people do not have an accurate understanding of the GSDOA and the legal protections it provides. These ndings are comparable to results from two US studies and two studies conducted in BC [24,26,29,63]. Notably, a study from BC found that only 45% and 61% of respondents who were aware of the GSDOA had a complete understanding of when and to whom protection was offered, respectively [26].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

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Awareness and Knowledge of The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act Among People At Risk of Witnessing an Overdose in British Columbia, Canada: A Multi-Methods Cross Sectional Study

Ackermann

Kievit

Xavier

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Introduction Bystanders to drug overdoses often avoid or delay calling 9-1-1 and cite fear of police involvement as a main reason. In 2017, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act (GSDOA) was enacted by the Canadian government to provide people present at an overdose with legal protection from charges for simple drug possession, and conditions stemming from simple possession. Few studies have taken a multi-methods approach to evaluating the GSDOA. We used quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to explore awareness, understanding, and perceptions of the GSDOA in people at risk of witnessing an overdose.MethodsQuantitative cross-sectional surveys and qualitative telephone interviews were conducted with adults and youth at risk of witnessing an overdose across British Columbia. Cross-sectional survey participants were recruited at 19 Take Home Naloxone sites and online through Foundry. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed hierarchically to determine factors associated with GSDOA awareness. Telephone interview participants were recruited by research assistants with lived/living experience of substance use. Deductive and inductive thematic analyses were conducted to identify major themes.ResultsOverall, 52.7% (n = 296) of the quantitative study sample (N = 453) reported being aware of the GSDOA. In multivariable analysis, cellphone possession (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.19; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.36, 3.54) and having recently witnessed an opioid overdose (AOR = 2.34; 95% CI 1.45, 3.80) were positively associated with GSDOA awareness. Young adults (25–34 years) were more likely to be aware of the Act (AOR = 2.10; 95% CI 1.11, 3.98) compared to youth (16–24 years). Qualitative interviews (N = 42) revealed that many overestimated the protections offered by the GSDOA. To increase awareness and knowledge of the Act among youth, participants recommended adding the GSDOA to school curricula and using social media. Word of mouth was suggested to reach adults.ConclusionBoth awareness and knowledge of the GSDOA remain low in BC, with many overestimating the protections the Act offers. Dissemination efforts should be led by people with lived/living experience and should target those with limited awareness and understanding of the Act as misunderstandings can erode trust in law enforcement and harm reduction policy.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

“…To our knowledge, the majority of studies evaluating the GSDOA/drug-related Good Samaritan Laws use quantitative methods [16,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30], with, to our knowledge, only two multi-or mixed-methods studies [31,32]. Different methodologies may in uence the ndings that are produced.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Awareness and Knowledge of The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act Among People At Risk of Witnessing an Overdose in British Columbia, Canada: A Multi-Methods Cross Sectional Study

Ackermann

Kievit

Xavier

et al. 2022

Preprint

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“…We found greater GSDOA awareness among respondents who reported more frequent access to harm reduction services. A study conducted in Maryland, in the United States, demonstrated that individuals who accessed syringe service programs were more likely to have accurate knowledge of the drug-related GSL (Schneider et al, 2020). Also, similar to a study by Evans at al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 56%

“…A study conducted in the state of Rhode Island explored factors associated with drug-related GSL awareness among young adults engaged in non-medical prescription opioid (NMPO) use and found that 45.5% of respondents were aware of the law (Evans et al, 2016). While factors associated with drug-related GSL awareness in the United States have previously been reported, to our knowledge this study is the first in Canada to conduct a quantitative assessment to assess correlates of GSDOA awareness with a comprehensive sample of PWUD across BC (Evans et al, 2016;Schneider et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act awareness among people who use drugs in British Columbia, Canada

Mehta

Moustaqim‐Barrette

Papamihali

et al. 2021

JCSWB

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Introduction: To address the increase in opioid-related overdoses and deaths in Canada the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act (GSDOA) was enacted in May 2017. The GSDOA aims to reduce concerns of police attending overdose events and encourage bystanders to call emergency services. This study explores GSDOA awareness and understanding and the factors associated with GSDOA awareness among people who use drugs (PWUD). Methods: A cross-sectional drug and harm reduction service use survey containing GSDOA-specific questions wasconducted from October to December 2019 at 22 harm reduction supply distribution sites across British Columbia.Descriptive analysis and multivariable logistic regression were conducted to assess correlates of GSDOA awareness. Results: Overall, 54.2% (n = 315) of the eligible study sample (n = 581) reported being aware of the GSDOA. Of respondents reporting awareness, 45.2% and 61.3%, respectively, had a full understanding of when and to whom the GSDOA provides legal protection. In the multivariable model, GSDOA awareness was significantly associated with respondents identifying as cis-men (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.03 [95% CI: 1.30–3.19]); and those who obtained harm reduction supplies frequently (at least a few times/week) compared with those who did not obtain supplies or obtained them less frequently (AOR = 1.78 [95% CI: 1.14–2.76]). Conclusion: More than 2 years after its introduction, approximately half of harm reduction site clients reported being aware of the GSDOA, and, of these, less than two-thirds had a complete understanding of who is legally protected by the GSDOA. Future GSDOA knowledge dissemination should target PWUD who are less engaged with harm reduction services to improve GSDOA awareness and understanding.

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“…One study found that after states enact a GSL, they have 15% reductions in opioid overdose deaths (McClellan et al,2018). Other studies demonstrate that people who use drugs are unaware of their state's GSLs and their associated protections (e.g., Fadanelli et al,2020;Schneider et al,2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perspectives from law enforcement officers who respond to overdose calls for service and administer naloxone

et al. 2022

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Background Many law enforcement agencies across the United States equip their officers with the life-saving drug naloxone to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Although officers can be effectively trained to administer naloxone, and hundreds of law enforcement agencies carry naloxone to reverse overdoses, little is known about what happens on scene during an overdose call for service from an officer’s perspective, including what officers perceive their duties and responsibilities to be as the incident evolves. Methods The qualitative study examined officers’ experiences with overdose response, their perceived roles, and what happens on scene before, during, and after an overdose incident. In-person interviews were conducted with 17 officers in four diverse law enforcement agencies in the United States between January and May 2020. Results Following an overdose, the officers described that overdose victims are required to go to a hospital or they are taken to jail. Officers also described their duties on scene during and after naloxone administration, including searching the belongings of the person who overdosed and seizing any drug paraphernalia. Conclusion These findings point to a pressing need for rethinking standard operating procedures for law enforcement in these situations so that the intentions of Good Samaritan Laws are upheld and people get the assistance they need without being deterred from asking for future help.

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

Cited by 35 publications

References 30 publications

Awareness and Knowledge of The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act Among People At Risk of Witnessing an Overdose in British Columbia, Canada: A Multi-Methods Cross Sectional Study

Awareness and Knowledge of The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act Among People At Risk of Witnessing an Overdose in British Columbia, Canada: A Multi-Methods Cross Sectional Study

Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act awareness among people who use drugs in British Columbia, Canada

Perspectives from law enforcement officers who respond to overdose calls for service and administer naloxone

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