With but a few hours to spare, Governor Cuomo last week, signed the 911 Good Samaritan Bill into law. The new legislation provides limited immunity from prosecution for drug/alcohol offenses for those who call for help during an overdose emergency. Drug overdoses often become fatal when witnesses - afraid of getting into trouble - leave the scene.  The Governor in his approval message (read it here),  cited our PUSH members as the driving force in getting the bill passed. Look for LICADD to join with other groups as we kick-off an aggressive education campaign about the new law and overdose prevention.

About 1 in 4 Americans age 12 or older say they engaged in binge drinking in the previous month, according to results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health released last week. The survey conducted between 2008 and 2009 found that binge drinking rates varied among states, ranging from 14.1 percent in Utah, to 29.8 percent in North Dakota. Binge drinking is defined as having five or more drinks in a single sitting. New York's rate was 24.08%. 

The survey also found 8.4% of Americans have used an illegal drug in the previous month, including 9.7% of teens ages 12 to 17. In the past year, 10.8% of Americans reported using marijuana, and 6.4% used the drug in the last 30 days. 

 The full survey results are linked here .