Florida Statutes that protect Drug Users
Florida Statutes that protect Drug Users is 893.21
Since 2017, the state of Florida has been working towards the present-day Florida statute 893.21. This is a highly controversial statute prohibiting law enforcement from arresting a person overdosing on an illegal drug. And in doing so, it would encourage people to reach out and call 911 when a loved one is overdosing on an illegal substance.
I guess I do not have to tell you that this controversial statute and subject that has “raised eyebrows” across the nation has its good points and its bad points. So let’s start off by taking a few moments to discuss the bad, or negative points that not arresting users who are possessing illegal drugs can cause. For most of us drug users, the fear of getting caught and having our freedoms taken away from us can and will influence us heavily to not use. If that fear of getting caught or arrested is no longer there it keeps the door wide open to continue our addictive drug usage. We need those deterrents!
But on the flip side, there are some positive aspects to this new statute. People aren’t scared to dial 911 anymore to get help for themselves or for a loved one who is overdosing on illegal drugs. For example, a person was found unconscious in his nonmoving vehicle and the local police just had him call a loved one to come get him and they confiscated the leftover narcotics without charging him for a single crime. This is beginning to be the norm in Florida and 19 other states across the United States and it seems to be having positive results. But we must remember that the underlying problems for these addicts are still there whether they got charged for a crime or not and getting them help is still a priority.
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