N.J. bill would protect underage drinkers who seek medical help

The bill, referred to as the “lifeline” legislation, is designed to encourage underage drinkers to call for help by removing the fear of prosecution.

“This is an encouraging signal that lawmakers and local officials recognize the importance of having these sorts of provisions in place,” USG president Connor Diemand-Yauman ’10 said in an e-mail.

Since he took office in February, Diemand-Yauman has advocated a revision of Borough alcohol policies, which he claims do not guarantee sufficient amnesty to students who call for help for underage friends who have been drinking. In September, Diemand-Yauman was charged by Borough police for serving alcohol to a minor after he called Public Safety to help an intoxicated friend.

Alcohol Coalition Committee co-chair Chris Chandler ’10 explained that the bill currently being considered is particularly significant because state laws concerning underage drinking are becoming increasingly strict.

“Since [legislators] are considering closing the loophole to make drinking under 21 (not just buying underage or serving people who are underage) illegal, they need to be sure that this will not make the situation worse,” Chandler said in an e-mail.

Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini (R-Monmouth), one of the bill’s sponsors, said that the bill was motivated in part by studies done on university campuses in other states. These studies suggested that more students called for help once similar legislation was put in to effect.

“We have kids that are dying from alcohol poisoning, and it’s because kids are afraid to call for help because they don’t want to get themselves in trouble,” Angelini told the Associated Press.

Chandler also said he thinks similar legislation would help students who need medical attention. “If someone were in a dangerous situation from alcohol, we would not want their friends to be worried about getting the sick person or themselves in trouble,” he said. “The only thing that should matter in those situations is the safety and wellbeing of the person in trouble.”

Despite his support for the new bill, though, Diemand-Yaumann expressed concern that the legislation was unclear.

“Currently, there are a number of provisions and details in the bill that add an unnecessary level of complexity to situations that require immediate action,” he said. “Our top priority for this bill should be very simple: How do we keep kids safe and make sure that people are making the call when their friends need it?”

The bill would not grant automatic immunity to those who call for help for a friend. To benefit from the protection granted by the bill, the individual calling for help must give his or her name to the 9-1-1 operator and cooperate with medical and law enforcement personnel who arrive at the scene.

Yet Chandler said he thinks the bill will have the positive effect of enabling intoxicated underage students to get medical assistance. “I definitely think it will make it an easier decision for someone to call 9-1-1 for their friends if they don’t need to worry about getting them in trouble with the police,” he said.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Diemand-Yauman said the USG hopes to work with legislators to present student experiences with alcohol laws. He added that the USG alcohol working group is collaborating with other schools to draft its own “Good Samaritan” bill.