Current Laws Related to Opioid Overdose Prevention
A comprehensive report from June 25, 2018, entitled “Connecticut’s Opioid Drug Abuse Laws,” can be found here.
In 2011, a “Good Samaritan Law” was passed to protect people who call 911 seeking emergency medical services for an overdose from arrest for possession of drugs/paraphernalia. It does not protect someone from other charges or stop the police from serving a search or arrest warrant if that was already in process.
In 2012 Narcan law was passed to allow prescribers (physicians, surgeons, Physicians’ Assistants, APRNs, dentists, and podiatrists) to prescribe, dispense or administer Narcan to any person to prevent or treat a drug overdose and the prescriber is protected from civil liability and criminal prosecution.
In 2014, protection from civil liability and criminal prosecution was extended to the person administering the Naloxone in response to an overdose.
In 2015, An act concerning substance abuse and opioid overdose prevention was passed to help curb heroin and prescription opioid abuse through more streamlined prescription reporting, continued education requirements for practitioners, and greater availability of the overdose reversing drug naloxone in case of emergency.