Cody's Law

A Green Country family's loss prompts a new state law. The Cody law was signed by Governor Brad Henry last week. <br/><br/>Itâ€™s named after Cody Greenhaw, a young man who died from a drug overdose

Wednesday, June 21st 2006, 10:46 am

By: News On 6

A Green Country family's loss prompts a new state law. The Cody law was signed by Governor Brad Henry last week.

Itâ€™s named after Cody Greenhaw, a young man who died from a drug overdose after partying at a house where parents were present. If something like that ever happens again, it will now be a felony.

News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright explains that while Cody's parents are pleased, they are not finished fighting.

Cody Greenhaw's truck still sits in his parents' drive-way, another reminder their oldest son will never walk through the front door again. Cody was involved in sports, went to church and had parents who monitored his friends and activities. That's why they were so devastated when he died from an overdose of drugs and alcohol his junior year in high school.

Kids at the same party told them parents were at the home while kids were drinking and doing drugs.

Cody's parents spent a year lobbying state lawmakers, writing letters, emailing and making phone calls. They wanted a law that makes it a felony for adults to permit underage kids to drink and do drugs. They didn't quite get that, but it is now a felony if adults let kids drink or do drugs and one of them dies.

Codyâ€™s mother Sareva Greenhaw: "there have been several deaths like his in Oklahoma since his death and it's devastating." Their whole goal was to prevent deaths like their son's, they hoped if grownups faced a felony just for allowing teens to party, maybe it would be a deterrent. Still, they feel they've made progress and plan to go back next year and keep pushing. "The way it reads now it's a felony if someone dies. We don't want to lose another life, that's why we'll be back in the Legislature."

The Greenhawâ€™s hope other parents will support their cause by voting for people running for office who agree to make this law tougher and voting against those who don't. Their message to those parents, it could be your child's life that is saved. It is currently a misdemeanor for adults to permit teenagers to drink or do drugs.

The original Cody law also had many other provisions, but they were all dropped except the one point. Some state lawmakers worry about making too many crimes a felony because the prisons are already so full and budgets are tight.