A New Zealand Green Party bill aimed at preventing drug overdose deaths by protecting people who call for emergency help passed its first reading Wednesday night, advancing to select committee despite opposition from the governing coalition.
Green MP Kahurangi Carter's legislation would amend the Misuse of Drugs Act, Bail Act, and Parole Act to shield people from prosecution for personal drug possession or use when they call emergency services during an overdose or adverse drug reaction, RNZ reports.
"When someone is trying to help their friend experiencing an overdose — that should remain the case," Carter said, arguing people shouldn't be treated as criminals for trying to save a life. The bill explicitly preserves prosecution for drug dealing, violent offenses, and serious crimes — it's narrowly targeted at removing the fear that stops people calling 111 when someone's dying.
Mate, this is harm reduction policy 101. People don't call ambulances during overdoses because they're terrified of being arrested. So people die in bedrooms and car parks because their mates are too scared to get help. The bill says: if you call for help, we won't charge you for the small amount of drugs in your pocket. That's it.
The bill passed first reading with support from the Greens, Labour, ACT, and Te Pāti Māori. National and NZ First opposed it, reflecting the government's harder line on drug policy. The unusual coalition of support — the Greens and ACT rarely agree on anything — suggests the idea has cross-ideological appeal, at least in principle.
The bill now heads to the Health Select Committee, where the public can make submissions. That's where the real fight will happen, as opponents argue it sends the wrong message about drug use and proponents counter that dead people can't recover.
The legislation is supported by Shelley O'Dwyer, whose son Jacob Gunnell died in 2022 following an LSD reaction when emergency services weren't contacted. She told Parliament the bill could prevent similar tragedies by removing the fear of prosecution that stops people seeking help.
New Zealand has been slow to embrace harm reduction approaches compared to countries like Portugal or even some Australian states. This bill won't change that overnight, but it's a start. Whether it survives the select committee process — and whether the government coalition allows it to pass into law — remains to be seen. For now, it's one step forward in treating overdose as a health crisis rather than purely a criminal matter.
