Call 911. Florida's Good Samaritan Act Has Your Back.

Save a life. The most dangerous moment in an overdose is often the pause before someone calls for help. Friends freeze. They worry about getting in trouble, about the police, about their own record. Minutes pass. Those minutes matter.

Florida lawmakers saw this, and in 2012 they passed the 911 Good Samaritan Act, now section 893.21 of Florida Statutes.

What the law says, in plain words

Florida's 911 Good Samaritan Act

• If you call for help in good faith for someone who is overdosing, you can't be charged, prosecuted or penalized for drug possession when the evidence was found because you called.

• The person who overdosed has the same protection.

• If someone is charged with something else, a good-faith effort to get help can be a reason a judge lowers the sentence.

  
  

Florida's courts have backed this up. In one appeals case, the court held that a caller kept the protection even after acting uncooperatively once help arrived — the law asks only that you call in good faith.

What it doesn't do

Florida's 911 Good Samaritan Act

The law protects against possession charges. It does not cover every possible crime, such as selling drugs. If you have questions about your own situation, talk to a lawyer or a legal aid office. (This post is information, not legal advice.)

What to say on the call Florida's 911 Good Samaritan Act

You don't need to explain what drugs were used. Say: "Someone is not breathing and won't wake up," give the address, and follow the dispatcher's instructions. If you have Narcan, use it.

Why this matters to us

Florida's 911 Good Samaritan Act

In many fatal overdoses, someone else was nearby. Every time a young person hesitates to call, a life hangs in the balance. Our Future Fuel students learn this law by heart, because knowing it removes the fear.