Alcohol Abuse Advice

By Austin Hoffman Published: March 1, 2011, 6:20 PM RAPID CITY, SD – It’s known as the Good Samaritan bill. Lawmakers are considering a proposal that would protect underage drinkers from charges if they call 911 to help someone who may have drank too much. But, one Rapid City woman who you’d think would support the bill thinks they’ve got it all wrong. Nancy Kueter said her son’s friends watched her son die from a drug overdose. She now wants people to face criminal charges for allowing that to happen and said Senate bill 141 does the exact opposite. Dustin Kueter died at the early age of 18 from a prescription drug overdose. But that’s not the whole story. “He was with friends of his and his friends chose not to call 911 to get him help when he needed it the most,” Kueter said. As of today, no charges have been filed against those three friends. The Good Samaritan bill lawmakers are considering right now would give people under 21 a break if they’ve been drinking and called to get help for themselves or others, but Kueter said that’s not how it should work. “They knew my son needed help, they knew this and they left him. We need to hold people accountable for that. Other states are prosecuting people for waiting too long to call 911,” Kueter said. Or not calling at all. She’d like see people charged when they let someone die cases like this. Kueter said it’s now all about education and knowing who your true friends really are. “What grade and age level are they going to …