Who Really Should Be Held Accountable For The Actions of Our Kids?

I was reading an article in the Opinion section of The Star-Ledger yesterday that elicited some very mixed feelings from me, Save Jerseyans.

Governor Christie conditionally vetoed a bill that would offer Good Samaritan protection to anyone who calls 911 to report a drug overdose.  This bill would enable prosecutors to absolve callers from their own drug involvement, as well as other minor crimes, like parole violation in exchange for the greater good of saving lives.

My first thought when I read this was, “Good! Why should the law protect people who are using drugs illegally?”  Christie has been getting a lot of flak for his decision, but in some regards I feel that supporting this bill is almost acceptance of illegal drug use.

This bill puts the onus on the government to protect drug users.  If kids are using and they are with friends, nobody is going to want to contact the police in the event of an overdose because they don’t want to end up behind bars themselves.  But it is also important to consider the fact that these kids are definitely not thinking clearly because they are not in their right minds.

Could this possibly be a contributor to “deaths by overdose” as well?  Rational thought does not really come into play in these mind-altering scenarios.  So, even with a Good Samaritan law, numbers of deaths may not really be reduced, and I think this is something that Christie wants to vet out before signing such a bill.

But the fact remains that these kids shouldn’t be engaging in this type of activity anyway.  It is against the law!  So, should the government really act as “big brother” in these circumstances?

The article also made note of the fact that “we’re facing an epidemic of kids addicted to heroin, which can be ordered like a pizza to any house.”  Isn’t this what the problem REALLY is, Save Jerseyans?  The fact that we have a drug problem in our state?  Perhaps more focus needs to be placed more on alleviating our issue with drug availability instead of protecting users….

This bill is just glossing over a much larger problem that we have in our state.

A statistic from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence estimates that 90% of those affected by addiction do not receive treatment.  And in New Jersey, only 7% of the state’s 805,000 people with addiction or alcoholism problems receive treatment.  The top reason for not obtaining treatment is a lack of affordable coverage (if any).

For those who do receive treatment, funding for rehab patients typically runs out before the patients are ready to go back into the real world and as a result, they succumb to temptation very quickly, which can sometimes prove to be fatal.  It would seem to me that the more pressing issue is getting people treatment.

As a parent, I cannot even fathom the tragedy of losing a child to drug overdose.  I can’t imagine how traumatizing it must be to go through this, and to bury your own child.  But there has to be accountability on the part of the parents and on the part of the kids that are using.  The government’s responsibility should be limited in these scenarios.  The reality is that parents should be much more aware of the dealings of their children and they should be much more involved BEFORE the addiction occurs.

 

Kristen Luciani
About Kristen Luciani 55 Articles
Kristen Luciani resides in Monroe Township with her husband and three children, aged 7, 3 and 18 months respectively. She works full-time as an Information Technology professional, and writes for her own blog, titled “Me and My Three” (www.meandmythree.com), that focuses on finding humor amidst the challenges of motherhood.

5 Comments

  1. And if, God forbid, something did happen to your child, and no one called 911 for fear of being arrested, how would that make you feel? You can do everything in your power to bring up your children in the right way, but they, as I'm sure you do, have a mind of their own and will do whatever when they're out of sight. But, why should any parent have to suffer that tragedy if it can be stopped. Even if it saves just one stupid person from dying, then it would all be worth it. Or, don't you think that human life is worth the effort, no matter if they're drug addicts or not. He was wrong to veto this bill and I hope the legislature overrides this veto to save even that one life.

  2. Rick, I clearly stated that this was a conditional veto. Christie understands the issue, but wants to see if this bill will actually make a difference in saving lives post-OD. There is not a lot of evidence to support this as of yet. And while my opinion may be controversial, I still do not think that: 1. this bill will make a large-scale difference in chains of events (for reasons I stated above), and 2. I don't agree with giving "immunity" to people breaking the law. I know it is done….A LOT. And I understand that it is for the greater good. But more importantly, we should try to figure out ways in which we can help addicts, before it is too late, instead of letting them get to the point where their lives depend on the passing of a Good Samaratin bill.

  3. This bill is about saving lives. Will it fix all our drug problems … of course not. While you may not “immunity” to people breaking the law, many of us choose one more life vs. one more arrest! As you quote from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, 7% of the state’s 805,000 people with addiction or alcoholism problems receive treatment. The top reason for not obtaining treatment is a lack of affordable coverage (if any) Guess what… lack of coverage is certainly not always the reason. I am a mother of a child who begged for help for almost two years. We were denied at 9 treatment centers in NJ — WE HAD INSURANCE.. I am also the mother of a son who witnessed the OD of his bestfriend. Thank god his instincts kicked in together with some adrenaline and he called 911 and woke us up. his bestfriend was on life support for days… The good news… he is celebrating his one-year anniversary of sobriety in just two weeks. Should we have been too scared to call and let him die?? If one's life is in danger.. you do everything in your power to save that life. Christie states in every media possible "What if they are not good samaritans?" SO WHAT IF THEY ARE NOT… Are you telling me that toda's society should choose prosecution over life. Our children are not using with drug dealers… they are with friends some of which are also suffering from the disease of addiction. Gov. Christie wants the puglic to think that these are drug dealers calling 911. Give me a break… I think we all know that had the deadline for this bill been after election, it would have been signed.. Unfortunately, timing is everything. So very sad. I ran into to police officers in town last week and they both said the following "Mrs… We would choose a life over one less arrest any day of the week.

  4. Denise, it is very unfortunate that your son was unable to get the help he needed. The statistic I cited indicated that a lack of coverage or affordable coverage was the main reason why people don't get the help they need, not the sole reason. But more than that, I don't think that people should need a law to protect them before they act to save someone's life. Your son didn't let the lack of a law stop him from making a call to save his best friend. I don't know if such a law will really make an impact….and gathering evidence is a responsible thing to do. I agree with Christie's position on this.

  5. Kristen Luciani – Thanks for reply and sorry for delay. Our son called due to it being 1:30 in the morning; his friend about to die in the bed next to him and THANK GOD did not think twice about calling. Having been more awake this still would have been his decision as he would certainly choose his best friends life. Unfortunately, statistics show that most will not call 911 and they will leave their friends there to die. To think that such a law would not make an impact is so very untrue. I sat in the statehouse in trenton yesterday and listened to the dozen stores of parents who had lost their children.. they lost their children due to an overdose. They were usng with their friends ( not dealers) and their friends ran. Addiction is a disease Kristen. There is not treatment here in NJ so these children continue to use. Even if my son was not an addict in recovery, I as a human being would choose life over prosecution anytime. This bill was passed in 12 states and it is working… not only for the person who overdosed but for the person calling. They too after a tramatic event are seeking help. Hopefully in their states, treatment might be an option. I will never stop fighting against the stigma of addiction as this the stigma is the reason people ignore this disease, denty treatment and proscecute. I am pro de-criminalizing our young addicts and saving their lives. I guess the questions is … do we call 911 and save a life or run and let them die.. To me the answer is so very clear and simple. Lets concentrate on the war on drugs.. lets proscecute those responsible like we did just two weeks ago in Paterson NJ where a tremendous most important drug ring was taken down. They are the drug dealers – those who should be prosecuted.

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