This survey is designed to reduce the information gap and help individuals and organizations better understand how the legal landscape in their state may impact access to harm reduction services and supplies, including overdose Good Samaritan laws, which provide limited protection from criminal sanctions to encourage people to call for help in an overdose emergency. Specifically, it covers laws related to syringe possession and distribution, naloxone access, statewide naloxone standing orders, and overdose Good Samaritan overdose protections in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
For each state, each area of law is briefly explained in plain language. The relevant citation is also listed, together with a hyperlink that will take the reader to the text of the law. All information is current as of September 15, 2020.
This document was developed by the Harm Reduction Legal Project with the support of NEXT Distro, an online and mail-based harm reduction platform designed to reduce opioid overdose death, prevent injection-related disease transmission, and improve the lives of people who use drugs. For more information about the Harm Reduction Legal Project or to request information or technical assistance regarding harm reduction law or policy, please visit Network for PHL or email [email protected]. For more information about NEXT Distro or to access harm reduction supplies, please visit their website. The information contained in this document is available in an easy to access format on the NEXT website at NEXT Distro policy page.
