{"id":199,"date":"2024-12-05T10:52:44","date_gmt":"2024-12-05T15:52:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/?page_id=199"},"modified":"2026-03-26T13:12:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T17:12:32","slug":"good-samaritan-policy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/mental-health\/alcohol-drugs\/good-samaritan-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Good Samaritan Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>The Good Samaritan Policy means you can get help without being afraid. Even if you\u2019re under 21.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>BU wants all students to be safe and look out for one another. The Good Samaritan Policy aims to make it easier for students to call for help in an emergency involving alcohol, drugs, or both. The Policy applies to BU students of any age and in emergencies that occur both on and off-campus.<\/p>\n<h3>What the Good Samaritan Policy says<\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;When a BU student seeks help for themselves or others who\u2019ve used alcohol or drugs, neither student will receive a sanction for alcohol or drug use, as long as they complete an educational or counseling program on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Signs of an alcohol emergency<\/h3>\n<p>Knowing the signs of an alcohol emergency can help you save someone\u2019s life or prevent other serious harm.<\/p>\n<p>If someone is showing <strong>any<\/strong> of these signs, they may be experiencing an alcohol emergency:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Vomiting<\/li>\n<li>Confusion<\/li>\n<li>Unconscious or trouble staying awake<\/li>\n<li>Seizures<\/li>\n<li>Irregular or slow breathing<\/li>\n<li>Skin that is pale, grey, or bluish<\/li>\n<li>Skin that is clammy or cool to the touch<\/li>\n<li>Racing heartbeat<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What to do in an alcohol or drug emergency<\/h3>\n<p>If you think someone is having a drug or alcohol emergency, <strong>call for help immediately.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If you are on the Charles River or Fenway Campus, call the BU Police at 617-353-2121<\/li>\n<li>If you are on the BU Medical Campus, call BU Public Safety at 617-358-4444<\/li>\n<li>If you are off-campus, call 911<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>BU Police and Public Safety know the BU campus best and can respond quickly. BU Police and BU Public Safety also carry naloxone.<\/p>\n<p>After you call for help:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Stay with the person until medical help arrives.<\/strong> Do not leave the person alone.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lay the person on their side,<\/strong> as long as it\u2019s safe to do so. This can help keep the person\u2019s airway clear in case they vomit.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Do not give the person food or drinks.<\/strong> It can be easy for them to choke, even on water or coffee.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Do not give them a cold shower<\/strong> or other methods thought to help \u201csober someone up\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Learn more about the Good Samaritan Policy, signs of an alcohol emergency, and what to do from the Student Health Ambassadors.<\/p>\n<h3>FAQs<\/h3>\n<p><strong><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Why is there a BU Good Samaritan Policy?<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/strong><br \/>\nStudent safety in emergencies involving alcohol or drug use is paramount. If a BU student gets help for themselves or others in an alcohol or drug emergency, they will not receive disciplinary sanctions from the University. This is true even if the students are under 21. The policy applies to both the student who seeks help and the student who needs help.<\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p><strong><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">How do I know if I should call for help?<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/strong><br \/>\nIf you\u2019re questioning whether someone is having an alcohol or drug emergency, it\u2019s time to call for help. Read more in the \u201csigns of an alcohol emergency\u201d section above.<\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p><strong><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Why is the policy only for alcohol or drug use?<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/strong><br \/>\nThe policy applies to a student\u2019s consumption of alcohol or other drugs. The policy does not apply to other code of conduct violations or crimes that may happen, such as vandalism or assault.<\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p><strong><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">The policy says that students won\u2019t receive a sanction \u201cas long as they complete an educational or counseling program on campus.\u201d What does that mean?<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/strong><br \/>\nIt means that students won\u2019t receive a disciplinary sanction. A student may still be required to complete an online alcohol education training or meet with someone at Student Health Services to talk about their substance use. These programs are an opportunity to check-in and support your wellbeing.<\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p><strong><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Does the Good Samaritan Policy also apply off campus?<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/strong><br \/>\nYes, the Good Samaritan Policy applies both on and off campus.<\/p>\n<p>The Good Samaritan Policy is a BU policy and does not supersede local regulations about alcohol and drug use. However, Massachusetts also has a Good Samaritan Law. <a href=\"https:\/\/malegislature.gov\/Laws\/GeneralLaws\/PartI\/TitleXV\/Chapter94C\/Section34A\">Learn more about the Massachusetts Good Samaritan Law.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p><strong><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Does the policy apply only to alcohol emergencies?<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/strong><br \/>\nThe Good Samaritan Policy applies in all emergencies for drug use, alcohol use, or both.<\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\" bu-callout aligncenter\"><\/p>\n<h3>What You Need to Know about BU&#8217;s Good Samaritan Policy on Alcohol and Drugs<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/articles\/2021\/good-samaritan-policy-boston-university\/\" class=\"button\">Read more here<\/a><br \/>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Good Samaritan Policy means you can get help without being afraid. Even if you\u2019re under 21. BU wants all students to be safe and look out for one another. The Good Samaritan Policy aims to make it easier for students to call for help in an emergency involving alcohol, drugs, or both. The Policy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1301,"featured_media":0,"parent":197,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/199"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1301"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=199"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/199\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3741,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/199\/revisions\/3741"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}