With a Little Help from My Friends: The Effects of Good Samaritan and Naloxone Access Laws on Opioid-Related Deaths

Daniel I. Rees, Joseph J. Sabia, Laura M. Argys, Dhaval Dave and Joshua Latshaw

Journal of Law and Economics, 2019, vol. 62, issue 1, 1 - 27

Abstract: In an effort to address the opioid epidemic, a majority of states recently passed some version of a Good Samaritan law (GSL) and/or a naloxone access law (NAL). Good Samaritan laws provide immunity from prosecution for drug possession to anyone who seeks medical assistance in the event of a drug overdose; NALs allow laypersons to administer naloxone, which temporarily counteracts the effects of an opioid overdose. Using data from the National Vital Statistics System multiple-cause-of-death mortality files for 1999-2014, this study is the first to examine the effects of these laws on overdose deaths involving opioids. The estimated effects of GSLs on opioid-related mortality are consistently negative but not statistically significant. Adoption of an NAL is associated with a statistically significant 9-10 percent reduction in opioid-related mortality, although the negative association between NALs and opioid-related mortality appears to be driven by early adopters--states that passed legislation before 2011.

Date: 2019
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