No more punishment for overdoses in Georgia

Medical institutions and doctors were obliged to report the cases of the drug overdoses to police and many of them in fact obeyed 5 December 2000, #239/ნ order of the Minister of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia. The controversial order made reluctant many overdose witnesses and victims for applying the medical service providers because of the fear of not caught by police. As a result there were many fatal cases.

On August 11, 2014 the order was amended and is already in force. Since 11 August 2014 the medical service providers have no obligation to report the drug overdose cases to police. On August 12 the amendment was widely circulated in the news media. As one of the representative from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (police) noted there was an internal regulation of the Minister of Internal Affairs not to go after the overdose cases – thus it was a de facto during past two years and now it is a de jure situation.

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