This member's bill amends the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 so that people who call for life-saving help when someone is experiencing a drug overdose or adverse drug reaction — along with the person affected and bystanders at the scene — are protected from being charged with specified low-level drug offences such as possession or use of drugs and possession of drug utensils. Its policy statement says fear of prosecution causes people to delay or avoid calling for help, and cites around 65 opioid-related deaths a year and an average of 83 fatal overdoses involving drugs like MDMA, cocaine, and methamphetamine. The bill is before Parliament, having passed its first reading 66–57 on 29 April 2026 (a provisional tally from the uncorrected transcript).
This bill amends the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 so that people who call for life-saving help when someone is experiencing a drug overdose or adverse reaction, along with the affected person and bystanders at the scene, are protected from being charged with specified low-level drug offences such as possession or use of drugs and possession of utensils. Its policy statement argues that fear of prosecution causes people to delay or avoid calling for help, citing figures on opioid- and stimulant-related deaths.
Supporters argue that a good-Samaritan protection saves lives by removing a barrier to calling emergency services during an overdose. Others may consider how the protection is scoped so it encourages help-seeking without unintentionally shielding more serious drug offending, and how it fits within wider drug law.
See the Parliament.nz ↗ site for the full bill.