Silence or Survival? California’s Bold Move to End Campus Overdose Deaths

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Students fear calling 911 could cost them their education—new legislation says it shouldn’t cost them their lives.

Assemblymember Matt Haney, D–San Francisco, is championing legislation aimed at preventing fatal overdoses on California college campuses.

At the PERS Conference on Monday at UC Berkeley, Haney plans to introduce a bill that would protect students from disciplinary action when seeking medical help for drug or alcohol overdoses, either for themselves or others.

“We need to change how California addresses addiction,” Haney said. “This is not just a drug problem, it’s an overdose crisis.” The proposed bill does not prohibit schools from taking disciplinary action in general, but it does encourage UC, CSU, and community college systems to ensure students are not penalized for calling 911 during a medical emergency related to substance use.

Assemblymember Haney emphasized that timing in these emergencies can be life or death.
“What would you want to happen if this were your son or daughter in a medical crisis?” he said. “The reality is that a matter of seconds or minutes can determine survival.”

TJ McGee, a 19-year-old student at UC Berkeley, shared how fear of disciplinary action influenced his decisions. He was placed on academic probation after a drug-related incident last year and said the pressure to avoid consequences made him hesitate to call for help.

“I feel like I have to be perfect,” McGee said in an interview. “I can’t afford to mess up or I risk suspension or being investigated.”

McGee recounted a time when a fellow student overdosed in his dorm. While his roommate froze in fear, one of the parents called 911. Emergency responders arrived just in time.

“They were scared,” McGee said. “They felt like they had to choose between helping someone or getting in trouble.”

He described the university’s response as “frustrating,” and said he wished Haney’s bill had already been in place to encourage schools to prioritize medical safety over punishment.

“People are afraid of being labeled just because they were near drugs or alcohol,” McGee added. “That shameful culture is what kept me quiet.”

McGee said he’ll remain on academic probation until December. Both he and Haney stressed the urgency of addressing the overdose crisis, especially on college campuses.

According to Haney, 7,000 Californians have died from overdoses since 2022. Among those ages 15 to 24, the death rate has doubled in the last five years, largely due to fentanyl.

“In a medical emergency, no student should be afraid that calling 911 means they’ll be expelled,” Haney said. “They need to feel safe making that call.”