New proposal may give addicts choice between jail or rehab

The drug epidemic has gotten so bad that there are laws across the country to encourage people to call the police if they're overdosing in exchange for immunity. Good Samaritan laws were one of the many attempts to save lives battling addiction but did the go too far? Today. Bill went to speak to both legislators and addicts about a new proposal that could force people into rehab, for goodness sake.

The Good Samaritan Law was put into place so that if someone overdosing called the police for help, they would be granted immunity.

Since many people feel that this law is sometimes abused, a new amendment suggests that those granted immunity should be required to enter rehab.

"They're going to have a choice," said Senator Gene Yaw. "They can either go through and be charged with any of the criminal charges or get involved with a program and get help."

While many people feel that forced rehab does not work, others believe that addicts should not simply walk away after a near overdose.

Christopher Marshall, who runs a rehab called Last Stop Sobriety, believes in the power of getting help. He is a recovering addict himself, and says that love is what saved him. "If the beds are full, we'll put you on the floor," he said. "If the floor is full, then you're coming to my house and my family's just going to have to deal because somebody did that for me."