A recent op-ed article in the New York Times, http://nyti.ms/YfclTf , tells heartbreaking stories of what happens when people are afraid to call for necessary emergency medical services. Most accidental drug overdose deaths are preventable if emergency services are contacted immediately, and the number one reason people don't call in the event of an overdose is fear of being arrested for drug possession.

Thanks to a bill I sponsored, New York has a strong law providing this protection. (New Jersey recently enacted similar legislation.) New York's law was passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2011. It is important for New Yorkers to know that their health comes first, and that they can report an overdose without fear of prosecution.