If a friend is in need and no one does anything about it, someone’s going to regret it down the road. We’ve been taught since preschool that if someone sees something bad happening, call 911.

Why is it harder to press those three dials in college?

It could be because of the lack of trust college students have in police officers. Without hesitation, a student should let dispatchers know about any potentially life-threatening situation. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Underage students who have been drinking alcohol have an instinctive fear of the police. For good reason, too. But when it comes to matters of life and death, everyone would benefit from a little confidence in our law officers. As cliché as it sounds, they only are out there to help us.

Maybe students just don’t know about the law?

ASMSU, MSU’s undergraduate student government, is working hard to spread awareness. The organization is holding an awareness event at noon Tuesday at Olin Health Center.

But thus far, many of those who are familiar with medical amnesty have heard about it through word of mouth. With social media and fast-pace communication, MSU’s campus could lead the state of Michigan by rewarding those who do the right thing. Avoiding MIPs, citations for providing alcohol to minors and other legal repercussions should be enough to convince students that they will be better off calling for help. That doesn’t help if no one knows about these benefits.

Even if students know about legal protections, they might be deterred by the possibility of an ambulance ride and medical fees. If someone is in the condition where they must go to the hospital, the cost of an ambulance ride could be discouraging. But when it comes down to it, the individual needing medical care will receive assistance faster if there is zero hesitation.

In this case, price just doesn’t matter. A friend’s life matters more.

If given the choice of calling an ambulance for a friend or potentially having them die, call the ambulance 10 times out of 10.

Most importantly, students should know under the amnesty law that they will not get penalized for their commitment to safety. The person who calls for help or the person who is medically unstable will not get an MIP. The individual getting taken to the hospital might be angry when they see their $500 medical bill, but it’s impossible to know what would’ve happened otherwise. In the long run, it’s worth the inner moral strain to solicit help.

As long as students cooperate, medical amnesty will set the stage for safety around campus and the state.