An NYPD public service campaign aims to alert drug users - and witnesses - that they won't be arrested if they call 911 during an overdose emergency.

The campaign will be focused on areas like Staten Island and the Bronx where drug use is highest.

Under the state's 911 Good Samaritan Law, people who need emergency care for a drug or alcohol overdose can call 911 without fear of arrest. That also applies to someone who witnesses an overdose.

“This campaign will help New Yorkers understand the protections of the Good Samaritan law for those suffering from an overdose or calling to help someone in need,” said Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill. “This is about saving lives. And this campaign will do just that.”



In 2016, there were 1,374 overdose deaths in New York, more than any other year on record. Health officials said every seven hours a New Yorker dies from an overdose.

The public service campaign will include ads on social media, subways, buses and ferries.