Underage drinkers can face a unique dilemma if they have a friend who may be suffering from alcohol poisoning: Call 911 and subject themselves and the friend to legal trouble or do nothing and hope the friend will sleep it off and be fine in the morning.

Oregon Rep. Margaret Doherty, D-Tigard, is sponsoring a bill in the upcoming legislative session to provide immunity in such cases from Minor in Possession charges, according to The Oregonian. She was prompted by the story of a California case where a drunk young man died after friends started to take him to the hospital but turned back for fear of legal consequences.

If Doherty’s bill becomes law, Oregon would join 17 other states with similar provisions. The immunity would not extend to other more serious crimes, such as drunk driving or drug charges.

The risk of death from alcohol poisoning is not an abstraction: It has killed at least two underage drinkers in Oregon in the last few years, according to the Oregon Health Authority. This proposal could help prevent future cases by encouraging friends to do the right thing in seeking medical help.

Jennifer Summers, director of substance abuse prevention at the University of Oregon, said she frequently hears from students that they fear getting in trouble if they call for help for a drunk friend. She told The Oregonian she supports Doherty’s proposal and appreciates its focus on health and safety. Reps. Andy Olson, R-Albany; Jeff Barker, D-Aloha; and Wally Hicks, R-Grants Pass — all of whom have law enforcement background — also support the proposal, Doherty said.

It’s a tricky business to exempt law-breakers from consequences, and it should be done sparingly. The well-known problem of underage drinking, especially among college students, shouldn’t get a pass. This proposal, however, addresses a specific and narrow medical question. It’s a restrained approach that addresses a real problem and deserves positive action from legislators.