Aa
Illegal telling people about Hep C person
Is it illegal to tell people that someone you know has hepatitus c and is snorting cocaine with them? I am not the one, but I am related to the one who has Hep C and I know for a fact that he is doing cocaine with certain people. I live in the state of Illinois. I know he has not told them, but I am not sure if I am able to tell them. I do not want other people being hurt, and I do not want to be in trouble with the law either. I happen to care for one of the people whom he is doing cocaine with. Please help me.
Ouch, now thats a rough truth to learn! Sorry.
Wow Harry, that sucks! Don't get me wrong, I believe anybody who knowingly spreads this plague should roast in the hottest part of hell after a long life of torture that almost (but not quite) kills him/her.
Una
Una
Sorry but this topic gets me going.I was infected by my brother that used my diabetic needles and then put them back, my parents knew he had this disease and didnot let the other family members know.For years I suffered from hep c without a clue, on my brothers death bed he confessed to his using my needles. POW
Harry
Harry
I haven't read thru all the post ...but 'gossip' is EVERYWHERE! I am sure that each of us has someone at work, social life, family, friends...out there....that at some time has said 'pssst, you know he/she has Hep C'. I got the infamous 'slight touch distant hug' from one at Christmas.
'Spread the gossip' if you have to! (never thought I'd find a good use for gossip!) Tell the one you 'care about', it'll get around. Unless one is liable per the HIPA laws, which your not his nurse, Dr. etc, than there has never been one I know of that went to jail for gossip. In other words...as they come with difficulty right now :}.......these situations aren't a matter of legality, there a matter of morality. Even if you 'talked' to your family member...he already knows what he's doing and doesn't give a dam! The sad truth is, on drugs/coke he probably won't and the ones doing it with him probably won't pass up a line because it's the only straw even if they know!!
I do believe in USA you can be prosecuted for knowingly risking another life in that way. Than again.... how serious will the law take it if it's a bunch of 'coke heads' (you get my drift.)
IMO....if you can't sleep at night over something, your not doing what you feel is right.
Another thought for the mix here.....those sitting there doing the coke, spreading the Hep C go home to spouse's, kids and family......sharing their razors or tooth brush. The question of 'will I get in trouble' doesn't even compare to the question of 'could I have stopped this' if your friend or his family come up with Hep C next year.
And honestly, how much respect does that family member deserve doing what he's doing?
Just my take on it :} LL
me2 has, actually, a valid concern. Dependent upon where you live, there are possible torts that can be brought against third parties for violating privacy laws. A lot would probably depend on the following:
1) your relationship to the party ( i take it yours is a familial and not professional relationship
2) how you came to know the info (in this case, the party apparently informed you of his or her status?)
3. Whether or not you could prove the info in court (even a tape recording of the person admitting to you would work in many states, but you have to take care about the recording laws (wiretap laws) in your state.
In many libel (or slander) can't remember which it is when the person isn't a public person, suits, or suits alleging interference with privacy or the ability to work, the defendant has to be able to prove only that what you were saying is true. This gets to be dicey though when or if you can't prove that it's true and there is no ability to get confidential medical info in order to do so (judges can be very unwilling to order confidential medical info to be released).
This would be a much easier question issue perhaps if HCV shared (and you'd think it would) the relative importance given to syphillis where it would be mandatory to report it to the health dept upon a positive test and for the health dept to notify all all potential at risk individuals exposed to the virus by the individual reporting positive.
In the end, you have to look at your own conscience. I would probably tell in a New York minute if the problem behavior was known by me to be ongoing. Because it is SO irresponsible to knowingly put others at risk with this disease.
Also keep in mind that people don't really hire attorneys and take these things to court that often in retaliation (especially people who are so ill put together that they're snorting coke all the time) although sometimes they can make a lot of noise about doing so. People who are really going to sue you tend not to make any noise about it at all. They just do it.
1) your relationship to the party ( i take it yours is a familial and not professional relationship
2) how you came to know the info (in this case, the party apparently informed you of his or her status?)
3. Whether or not you could prove the info in court (even a tape recording of the person admitting to you would work in many states, but you have to take care about the recording laws (wiretap laws) in your state.
In many libel (or slander) can't remember which it is when the person isn't a public person, suits, or suits alleging interference with privacy or the ability to work, the defendant has to be able to prove only that what you were saying is true. This gets to be dicey though when or if you can't prove that it's true and there is no ability to get confidential medical info in order to do so (judges can be very unwilling to order confidential medical info to be released).
This would be a much easier question issue perhaps if HCV shared (and you'd think it would) the relative importance given to syphillis where it would be mandatory to report it to the health dept upon a positive test and for the health dept to notify all all potential at risk individuals exposed to the virus by the individual reporting positive.
In the end, you have to look at your own conscience. I would probably tell in a New York minute if the problem behavior was known by me to be ongoing. Because it is SO irresponsible to knowingly put others at risk with this disease.
Also keep in mind that people don't really hire attorneys and take these things to court that often in retaliation (especially people who are so ill put together that they're snorting coke all the time) although sometimes they can make a lot of noise about doing so. People who are really going to sue you tend not to make any noise about it at all. They just do it.
I don't know either and I'm in Canada same as you. I know people have been sued successfully here for not making sure that people who were at their house parties didn't drive home drunk. It's not quite the same thing but along the same lines of being responsible for another person's behaviour. Perhaps that's considered a "special relationship" if you're the person hosting the party. Anyway.. my question is my own curiosity, so I'll just have to sort it out for myself.
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