If this legislation becomes a law, it would be a life-saving change for teens.

About 5,000 people under the age of 21 die an alcohol-related death every year in the U.S., according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. With medical amnesty, that number can begin to be lowered.

Although underage drinking is not encouraged, it is understood that many people under the age of 21 drink anyway. The state is being realistic in addressing the health of underage drinkers instead of letting them be another statistic.

Many underage drinkers dismiss seeking medical help in fear of getting in trouble with the police. Those who are dangerously drunk sometimes do not wish to go to the hospital to avoid a minor in possession charge or arrest. Similarly, friends sometimes opt out of taking others to receive medical attention because of the same fear.

Drinkers underestimate how sick their drunk friends are. If this law was in place, people would not wait until an underage drinker is deathly ill before getting help. Instead of losing young adults, this law could save their lives. It is better to have people ask for help rather than seeing anyone pass away.

Some say this legislation would encourage teens to consume alcoholic beverages, seeing as they would not get in trouble if they seek medical attention.

This argument is lacking empathy. Nobody wants to go to the hospital, and implying that one intentionally would drink to the point of doing so is ridiculous. The bill is not meant to enable drinkers, but to help those who have already made the mistake of underage drinking.

Opponents of the bill say underage drinkers would call for ambulances to avoid getting in trouble with the law. The city of East Lansing charges $750 for ambulance runs plus $12 per loaded mile, while the punishment for a minor in possession in East Lansing is around $100 for first-time offenders. For underage drinkers who aren’t dangerously drunk, the minor in possession is the less costly option.

It’s also good to see ASMSU, MSU’s undergraduate student government, East Lansing Mayor Dianne Goddeeris and East Lansing police Chief Juli Liebler support the bill and the safety of underage drinkers.

Even if this legislation doesn’t pass, it is good for students to know the East Lansing Police Department operates with its own amnesty standard, one that encourages dangerously drunk underage drinkers at MSU to seek medical attention when needed.

No one is looking to enable or encourage underage drinking, but the law isn’t about that. The bill is aimed squarely at helping those who already have made a poor decision not compound that decision into a tragedy.

If made into a law, this bill could save lives, and that’s reason enough to enact it.