Roger-Luc Chayer

In the current Canadian context where there are many cases of drug-related deaths, including Fentanyl, the 2017 Good Samaritans Act protects you if you decide to contact 911. How does the law work? can you protect?

First, there was already Article 1471 of the Civil Code of Quebec which provides that a person who rescues others can not be held responsible for the harm (physical or material) that he or she is causing at this time. But in the law on good Samaritans rescuing the victims of overdose, the protection is even greater. Here are some examples:

You are suffering from an overdose or you are witnessing an overdose whose life may be in danger. By contacting 911 for help, police or first responders can not charge you with possession of any drugs, even if you are on probation, on probation, on parole, or on a suspended sentence. . Your intervention and your situation at the time of the call can not be

held against you by law. The law protects the person asking for help, regardless of whether they stay or leave the overdose scene before help arrives. The law also protects anyone who stays on the premises when help arrives.

However, the law does not protect you in the following cases: You have unexecuted warrants, you are producing or trafficking in controlled substances, or you are the perpetrator of another crime not specified by law. The Federal Government wanted to allow people in emergency situations to enjoy a degree of legal immunity in order to save lives. In the worst case, if your situation is not clear, still contact 911, your presence is not required at the arrival of help.