Action Alert: Help prevent overdose deaths in NY!

Here in New York, we've been hard at work trying to pass an Good Samaritan (or Medical Amnesty) bill that would protect individuals from criminal prosecution when calling 911 in an alcohol or other drug related medical emergency. This life-saving overdose prevention bill passed through the State Assembly last week and now we only have a few days left of the legislative year to get it through the Senate.

It is crucial that we flood Senator Skelos's office with calls urging his support in the next 24 hours to make sure this life-saving bill becomes a live-saving law next week!

Call Senator Dean Skelos, the New York Senate Majority Leader, at (518) 455-3171 and urge him to consider the following:

- S4454A has been carefully crafted to save lives while not allowing drug dealers to "walk free"

- The Assembly version of this bill will save lives and should pass without amendments

- Senators on both sides of the aisle have already expressed their support for the bill as currently written and no amendments are necessary for it's passage

Your supportive calls last week on this issue caused Senate Majority Leader Skelos to take notice! It's looking likely that this bill will pass, but now some are calling for amendments to weaken the bill and we need to make our voices heard.

After you call his office, we'd love to hear how it went, so let us know here. If you don't live or go to school in New York, than please pass this around to friends! We've got to act now and we can't do it without your help.

Outstanding Alum Award: Victor Pinho

Victor became involved with drug policy when he founded the University of Maryland chapter of NORML in 2005. There he teamed up with the campus chapter of SSDP and established a reputation of solid membership, leadership, and political credibility within the drug policy reform efforts at UMD.

As an alum, he continued to stay involved. After graduating in 2006 and moving back to his home state of New Jersey, Victor took an active role in advising new chapter leaders, contributing to discussions via e-mail, organizing leadership retreats and strategy sessions, and providing general advice and support from his experiences. He also organized the first northeast regional SSDP camping trip in 2009, which has since become an annual tradition and has grown to over 60 attendees (we are planning to return to Cedar Rapids Campgrounds in Barryville, NY for a third time this summer, join the NE regional Facebook group to receive updates). Victor has returned to UMD's campus as a speaker on several occasions, including an event last November, as well as speaking on the "Ask an alum!" workshop during our conference last month where he also organized an SSDP alumni network dinner.

Outside of campus, Victor has been active in New Jersey state drug policy reform efforts. As a Community Organizer with the Coalition for Medical Marijuana of NJ, Victor organizes media events and coordinates public education efforts. Most recently, he has begun work on developing a 911 Amnesty Policy for the Garden State.

Victor currently volunteers his time to SSDP through his role as New Jersey State Coordinator. Greg Hansch, graduate student adviser to our Rutgers - New Brunswick chapter, shares some insight on the value of Victor's role in NJ:

" The guidance that he has provided Rutgers and other chapters in the state has been critical to those chapters' formation and growth. He has not only been great about emailing us and talking to us on the phone when we need help, but he also has come to New Brunswick on several occasions and led planning meetings, introduced guest speakers, and gave a pro-bono presentation on medical marijuana in New Jersey. His connections to other drug policy reformers in the area have provided us with some amazing guest speakers. Victor's the man. Thanks for taking the time to honor a truly outstanding SSDP alum!"

Victor led by example and established a tradition of smooth leadership transition, allowing UMD SSDP and NORML Terps to continue to thrive. I saw him working hard, taking initiative, conducting research, writing letters to the editor and working with the media on a variety of issues. I also saw how other campus leaders turned to Victor as an expert in all matters related to marijuana and other drug policies. I can say from personal experience that without Victor's leadership, UMD SSDP and NORML Terps would not be where they are today. We've been able to follow his lead. And because of the solid foundation built by him and others, I'm confident that the impression he left during his time at UMD isn't going away anytime soon.

Outstanding Student Activist Award: Katharine Celentano

Earlier this month over 400 people gathered at our 2011 Training Conference and Lobby Day, and to wrap things up on the last day, SSDP recognized the achievements of several extraordinary student and non-student members during the Awards Ceremony and Benefit Concert. In the coming weeks, keep an eye out as we will write one blog post for each award recipient highlighting the hard work that made them stand out from the crowd.

Two students each year receive the "Outstanding Student Activist" award. In our first award profile, it's easy to see why Katharine Celentano (Columbia University) deserves this honor. In fact, I think "outstanding" might even be an understatement...

Katharine Celentano made hundreds of calls to California voters last year urging them to support the passage of Proposition 19 to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol. Katharine earned the title of "Professional Phonebanker" using the Just Say Now phonebanking tool, rising to and staying near the top of the leaderboard during the entire campaign. With 551 points earned, only two others made more calls than she did, all while tackling her first semester of rigorous coursework studying Neuroscience and Behavior at CU.

Katharine has been advocating for a Good Samaritan policy on campus at Columbia, currently the only Ivy League school that does not protect students from punishment when calling 911 in alcohol and other drug related medical emergencies. Because of the work she and others have done, the school administration is now closer than ever to adopting this life-saving overdose prevention policy.

She also initiated a coordinated media response to last year's "Operation Ivy League" drug bust involving five Columbia students, shining light on campus drug law enforcement and calling for a change in policing practices.

Last month, she helped draft and issue this press release in response to startling data indicating an increase in low-level marijuana arrests targeting youth and people of color in New York city.

Katharine has been instrumental in building a coalition of on- and off-campus individuals and groups such as CHURON, the Columbia University Harm Reduction Outreach Network, and the Washington Heights CORNER Project, a local syringe exchange program, to coordinate harm reduction efforts with the SSDP chapter across all CU schools at the university as well as within the larger community.

This is not the first time we've told you about her work, and it certainly won't be the last.

Congratulations Katharine!

UMD SSDP Wins Four Year Campaign

Four years ago, as a sophomore at the University of Maryland (and at the time President of the UMD SSDP chapter), I was elected to the University Senate, the most powerful policy making body on campus, comprised of 90% faculty, and 10% students. In an effort to place myself in a position to influence campus drug policy, I sought and received an appointment to serve on the Student Conduct Committee. There I proposed adopting a Good Samaritan (or medical amnesty) policy that would ensure students would be protected from judicial sanctions if they called 911 for themselves or a friend who needed emergency medical attention due to an alcohol or other drug overdose. I had no idea that this would mark the beginning of a very long, difficult, and complicated saga, culminating in a Senate vote that took place yesterday.

When things began back in 2007, the idea was not exactly welcomed with open arms by the other members of the committee, many administrators were not convinced that implementing such a policy was necessary, and some feared that students would abuse the policy or that it would send a message that drinking/using drugs was acceptable. I was surprised by the level of opposition I faced, and frustrated by the painfully slow process. Even after the student body voted overwhelmingly in favor of adopting the policy, the administration did not take action.

Things were not looking good:

• Feb. 14, 2008 Hope for Good Samaritan policy dims 

• Feb. 20, 2008 Good Samaritan bill takes last gasps

My time as a Senator expired in 2008, by the time I graduated in 2009, Irina Alexander (currently the Chair of our National Board of Directors, who was leading the UMD SSDP chapter at the time) picked up right where I left off when she was elected to the University Senate. She conducted research, continued to build coalitions, met with and kept pressure on administrators to adopt a life saving Good Samaritan policy.

She and other student leaders fought tooth and nail to help pass a watered down version of the proposed policy. The "Promoting Responsible Action in Medical Emergencies" protocol provided protection for alcohol only, and did not clearly nor permanently alleviate student fears that might cause hesitation in potentially life threatening situations. This was a compromise that had to be made in order to move the issue forward, but by no means was it considered an acceptable end solution.

Students continued to encounter obstacle after obstacle:

• Apr. 15, 2009 U. Senate Samaritan policy scuttled 

• May 13, 2010 Good Samaritan will face steep opposition in fall

• Sept. 16, 2010 Amnesty protocol unlikely to become policy

But UMD SSDP was not willing to throw in the towel. In September 2010, Crystal Varkalis, Vice President of the chapter was featured in an article titled "Still Fighting" sharing her touching personal story about losing a friend to a drug overdose, which fueled her passion for this issue.

Finally, as seen in the video above, the University Senate passed the medical amnesty policy in a 78-1 vote. Additionally, The Diamondback editorialized in our favor, praising the hard work students exhibited in seeing this through.

While we still have much work to do to extend this policy to apply to all drugs, not only alcohol, yesterday marked an important victory. The people and institutions that provided invaluable time, resources, and support are too numerous to name, but without the help of others, there's no way anyone could have made this happen on their own. I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to everyone who played a part in this saga, no matter how small. You all should be proud that you helped to implement a policy that makes student health and safety a #1 priority and that could prevent the indescribable pain experienced by loved ones of students who didn't get the help they needed in time to save their life.

Words can’t even describe how it feels to see my idea come to fruition. I feel honored and humbled to have played a role in this policy change, and feel an incredible sense of pride about the work we all did to turn this dream of reform into reality.

• For more info on this long & difficult struggle, visit this page on our site.
• To learn about the issue in general and for resources to help you bring change to your campus, visit our Good Samaritan Policies campaign section.

Chapter Leader of the Week: Drew Stromberg, WVU

Chapter Leader of the Week

Basics:

• Drew Stromberg
• Founder and President
• West Virginia University SSDP

SSDP: When did you 1st get involved with SSDP?
Drew: I got involved during in the summer of 2009 when a friend of mine told me I should start a chapter at WVU.


SSDP: What issues are important for your chapter?
Drew: Good Samaritan Policy - We started working on ours last year and we are slowly but surely moving ever closer to it becoming a real university policy. (bureaucracy is designed to discourage you. Don’t let it.)

Drug education - We are working with WVU’s Senior Wellness Coordinator to incorporate drug education into the University 101 curriculum. The current program does include alcohol education fortunately. At this point in the process, we’re looking for universities with good drug education programs already in place. Do you have an open, comprehensive, and science-based program at your school? If you do, get in touch with me!

SSDP: Do you have any events planned for the this semester?
Drew: We hope to host an art show fundraiser in February. And of course we wouldn’t miss the National Training Conference in Washington, DC! Mountaineers en mass on the mall in March!

SSDP: What do you like best about being part of SSDP?
Drew: The work that we do is important and the changes we make are real. We’re shaping our world into a more sensible form.


SSDP: Do you have any advice for other chapter leaders?
Drew: As part of my technology internship with SSDP this semester, I've been working on our chapter's website, and developing the SSDP Tech Tips group on Facebook, so use these and me as a resource for improving your chapter's online presence.

Also, taking your chapter to a conference is the fastest way to turn regular members into drug policy reform samurai warriors.

Columbia University SSDP now closer to policy change

The SSDP chapter at Columbia University in New York came one step closer to passing a Good Samaritan Policy at the Ivy League school. The Columbia College Student Council and Engineering Student Council have both voted unanimously in support of the policy proposal.

Katharine Celentano, who is this week's featured SSDP chapter leader, says the next step is to bring the policy change to the school's Dean and the senior assistant dean of judicial affairs and community standards who will make the final decision.

Columbia is the only Ivy League school that has not adopted a “Good Samaritan” policy, which advocates like Katharine Celentano, GS and a member of SSDP, say will curb the consequences of alcohol poisoning and drug overdose.

“It’s very important that it’s clearly stated that people aren’t going to get in trouble,” Celentano, an author of the proposal, said. “Making that life-saving call is all about the psychology of the moment.” 

If the proposal passes, it would create official policy allowing students to call the  Columbia University Emergency Medical Services (CAVA) for help during drug related emergencies without the threat of punishment from the school.

Find out more about SSDP's Good Samaritan Policy work here: http://www.ssdp.org/campaigns/good-samaritan-policies

Washington Enacts "911 Good Samaritan" Law

On Thursday, Washington is set to become the 2nd state with a "911 Good Samaritan" Law, aimed at getting immediate medical attention to someone suffering from a drug overdose. The law would enable people to make responsible decisions by granting immunity to those who call 911 to get help for anyone showing signs of an overdose. It would protect the caller and the victim of the overdose from any drug possession charges. This is important because the threat of punitive policies often cause hesitation in calling for help during overdose emergencies. 


Currently, over 90 college campuses have enacted Good Samaritan/ Medical Amnesty Policies that are similar to these statewide policies. More than half of these campus policies cover situations involving all substances, while just under half cover only those involving alcohol. Many of these policies were created and implemented by SSDP chapters through the Campus Change Campaign. It is important to ensure that people are able to receive immediate medical attention, regardless of what they overdosed on. Nothing constitutes the involvement of drugs other than alcohol as a reason to deny somebody life saving treatment.

With the hopes of reducing the harms associated with drug use/abuse, Washington's law also includes provisions for greater access to a prescription medication that counters the effects of an opiate overdose. Naloxone is frequently used by doctors and paramedics as an antidote for heroin, methadone, or OxyContin overdoses. The new law allows doctors to prescribe the medication not only to those at high risk for an opiate overdose, but also to those who are likely to witness an overdose, such as family members of people who are on high doses of prescription pain medication. Statistics indicate that since 2001, the drug reversed the effects of nearly 2,500 opiate overdoses. Eventually, the drug could be distributed through public health departments to heroin users; similar to clean-needle exchange programs. Sadly, Washington's law comes too late for a 16 year old girl who died after drinking and reportedly taking ecstasy and whose friends would not bring her to the hospital after she showed signs of an overdose for fear of getting in trouble.

Although this legislation is completely sensible, Washington is only the second state to enact a "911 Good Samaritan" law. The legislation is modeled after New Mexico's statewide policy. These policies remove the hesitation caused by fear of punishment and give people the confidence to make a life-saving call. It is a preemptive policy that promotes responsible behavior rather than a reactive policy that rewards responsible behavior after the fact.

FSU SSDP Pushes for Good Samaritan Policy

 

Check out this great media coverage of the Florida State University SSDP chapter campaigning for their Good Samaritan Policy on campus. The chapter spent a day last week tabling in support of their campaign and used red balloons to represent students that die from alcohol related incidents on college campuses each year. 

FSU chapter members gave some great quotes. Being on camera isn't always easy but it's clear that they were prepared with talking points. 

"Drugs really are a medical problem and not a criminal justice problem. We feel that by enacting sensible policies that reflect the fact that people are going to use drugs but reduce the harms associated with drug usage, we feel that those are the best policies," said John Mola, Students For Sensible Drug Policy. 

"A majority of students, including us, aren't aware of what the punishments are already. So I feel like greater education is always a plus and this policy in particular would help that in addition to creating a nice safety net," added Carson Zimmer, Students For Sensible Drug Policy.  

"It's really nice to just have that network behind us. we're in constant communication with national SSCP and other chapters that have been successful, just to get ideas from them," said Lauryn Harris, Students For Sensible Drug Policy.  

They also received amazing coverage from their student newspaper yesterday which included even more excellent talking points.

FSU SSDP is on their way to changing a policy on their campus. This is exactly the type of work SSDP chapters should be engaged in. If your chapter isn't currently running a campaign visit our campaigns page for ideas and resources to help you bring positive change to your community.