Opioid GSLs

48 states in the U.S. have some form of opioid Good Samaritan Laws (GSLs). These are state-level policies that provide protection for lay responders who care for someone after they have overdosed. Policy details vary from state to state. This project examines the equity of GSLs in light of anti-Black racism. We lean on a corpus of 50 one-on-one semi-structured interviews with Black residents of Indianapolis, Indiana. Interviews were collected between Spring 2023 and 2024 through the MACRO-B project and in collaboration with Overdose Lifeline.

Learn more about GSLs

Learn more about MACRO-B

SBM 2025

This work was presented as a poster at the Society of Behavioral Medicine in March 2025. Find the citations used in our poster here.

SBM Citations

Stories

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Gracia

"Gracia" talks about the development of her ideas regarding calling 911. In recovery herself, she experienced tense encounters during the time of her active use. Later, in her recovery, Gracia called for help and administered Naloxone to her loved ones.

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James

"James" has been a lay responder to the overdoses of a few of his loved ones. He has experience working in harm reduction outreach and shares information about Naloxone with individuals when he gets the chance. He shares his impressions so far.

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Ayesha

"Ayesha" shares about her experience after an overdose and the decision-making process when it comes to calling 911. She now trains her employees to use Naloxone, which has already led to one saved life at her workplace.

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Janice

"Janice" was in active addiction for 30 years and now contributes to harm reduction in her area. She shares how people attempted to stay safe while in active use and handled overdoses. Read her impressions regarding police and beliefs around calling 911.

JLME Article

Our paper, "We playin’ chess but you give me a checker piece.” A Portrait of Structural Racism Ingrained in Overdose Good Samaritan Laws Through Semi-Structured Interviews, is currently in press to be published in The Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics in Spring, 2025. Check back here to learn more!

Read the Abstract

AAHB 2025

Recipient of the Student Poster of Distinction Award.

This work was presented as a poster at the American Academy of Health Behavior in March 2025. Find the citations used in our poster here.

AAHB Citations

IN Science Communication Day

IN Sci Comm Day was March 3rd, 2025 at the Indiana Statehouse. This poster detailed Aaron's Law and the ways Indiana lawmakers can make it stronger for all Hoosiers.

SciComm Citations and More