YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Lawmakers are hoping to combat the heroin epidemic with a law designed to take the fear of criminal prosecution away from someone seeking emergency medical help for an overdose. Police, however, question if the law will even work.

The number of Ohioans dying from accidental overdoses because of their battles with heroin addiction is climbing every year. House Bill 110 is now in effect in response to the epidemic.House Bill 110 full text

“It’s just another tool in the tool box. There’s no silver bullet that’s going to solve it,” said State Representative Sean O’Brien.

He is confident that the bill will help save lives of people battling an opiate addiction.

“What we’re seeing is…people being dropped off in the middle of the street, friends are walking out the door and leaving, and people are dying from it,” O’Brien said. “So what we’re trying to do is save people’s lives with this bill.”

Law enforcement is not so sure.

“I’m not sure that it’s the answer,” said Niles Police Capt. John Marshall.

The law, as it went into effect ten days ago, protects people from being penalized for minor drug possession offenses (Felony 5 and lower), whether they’re seeking or receiving emergency medical help for a drug overdose.

This only applies if they get a screening and treatment referral within 30 days.They also cannot be granted this immunity more than twice.

“If we can divert some of the people that are overdosing into treatment, and hopefully they don’t repeat the situation that got them there in the first place, it will definitely be a benefit,” Marshall said. “But I’m not sure if that’s how it’s going to work.”

Attorney Jeffrey Goodman says that while law enforcement does want to prosecute drug offenders, the possibility of saving lives is more important.

“There’s a problem out there. There’s an opiate addiction that’s killing many, many people,” O’Brien said. “What we’re trying to do is get help to these people, and get them into programs and other things we can do to get them off these drugs.”