Overdose immunity bill could cost lives

This editorial appears in the March 17, 2010, Yakima Herald-Republic.

With gang shootings and violence occurring with unsettling regularity throughout our communities in Central Washington, it's rather odd to see lawmakers in Olympia extending a hand of assistance to those overdosing on heroin.

These are the same lawmakers who have recoiled from any legislation that would assist law enforcement officers in their uphill struggles against gangs. Instead, legislators have seen fit to give limited immunity to those who overdose on drugs and those who report the incidents.

Not only is this legislation far off the mark, it also may lead to unnecessary deaths. That's the view of Rep. Bill Hinkle, R-Cle Elum, who has 17 years of experience as a first responder, having served as a paramedic and firefighter.

"We will see kids die," warned Hinkle. "This is a dangerous bill."

Senate Bill 5516 exempts a person from certain aspects of prosecution if he or she is seeking medical assistance for another individual suffering from a drug-related overdose. The person could still be charged with the manufacturing or sale of drugs. It also exempts the overdose victim from prosecution.

It's the second part of the legislation that really bothers Hinkle. It would allow people to administer a specific drug -- Naloxone -- as a way to counteract a possible drug overdose. Naloxone is a prescription drug used as standard treatment in heroin overdoses and is often administered by emergency room personnel and first responders. It's also accessible to people taking part in overdose prevention programs.

Hinkle argues that the measure now puts Naloxone in the hands of lay people and allows them to make life-and-death decisions. What will happen, Hinkle predicts, is that people administering Naloxone will delay calling 9-1-1. That could prove fatal.

"There are many other drugs that cause apnea and unconsciousness, and I'm afraid that the inexperienced person and the untrained person might be playing with a certain amount of confidence that they shouldn't have," Hinkle said. "I really fear that our effort to try to give this Naloxone to lay people will set a terrible standard and open up the possibility for some tragic events."

Though Hinkle spoke out against the measure, it cleared both the House and the Senate and was signed last week into law by the governor. It will go into effect in June, making Washington only the second state in the nation -- New Mexico was the first -- to enact overdose immunity provisions.

While some in the medical community believe the measure will save lives, we share Hinkle's concerns that it may result in delayed calls to 9-1-1 and produce a far more compromised situation at the scene of a drug overdose.

We are still baffled by the fact lawmakers were able to reach bipartisan agreement on this legislation while such measures like those seeking to curb gang violence were shoved to the sidelines. Why do heroin overdose victims merit more consideration than victims of gang violence?

No wonder Hinkle called this measure one of the more ill-conceived bills to come out of the Legislature in a long time. It has us wondering what's next.

* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Bob Crider, Spencer Hatton and Karen Troianello.