TITLE 39

HEALTH AND SAFETY

CHAPTER 3

ALCOHOLISM AND INTOXICATION TREATMENT ACT

39-307A.  Protective custody. (a) An intoxicated or drug addicted person may come voluntarily to an approved public treatment facility for emergency treatment. A person who appears to be intoxicated in a public place and to be in need of help, if he consents to the proffered help, may be assisted to his home, an approved public treatment facility, an approved private treatment facility, or other health facility by a law enforcement officer.

(b)  A person who appears to be incapacitated by alcohol or drugs shall be taken into protective custody by a law enforcement officer and forthwith brought to an approved treatment facility for emergency treatment. If no approved treatment facility is readily available he may be taken to a city or county jail where he may be held until he can be transported to an approved treatment facility, but in no event shall such confinement extend more than twenty-four (24) hours. A law enforcement officer, in detaining the person and in taking him to an approved treatment facility, is taking him into protective custody and shall make every reasonable effort to protect his health and safety. In taking the person into protective custody, the detaining officer may take reasonable steps to protect himself. A taking into protective custody under this section is not an arrest. No entry or other record shall be made to indicate that the person has been arrested or charged with a crime.

(c)  A person who comes voluntarily or is brought to an approved treatment facility shall be examined as soon as possible. He may then be admitted as a patient or referred to another health facility. The referring approved treatment facility shall arrange for his transportation.

(d)  A person who by examination is found to be incapacitated by alcohol or drugs at the time of his admission or to have become incapacitated at any time after his admission, may not be detained at the facility (1) once he is no longer incapacitated by alcohol or drugs or (2) if he remains incapacitated by alcohol or drugs for more than seventy-two (72) hours after admission as a patient. A person may consent to remain in the facility as long as the person in charge believes appropriate.

(e)  If a patient is admitted to an approved treatment facility, his family or next of kin shall be notified as promptly as possible. If an adult patient who is not incapacitated requests that there be no notification, his request shall be respected.

(f)  Law enforcement officers, personnel of the department, and personnel of an alcohol or drug treatment facility who act in compliance with this section are acting in the course of their official duty and are not criminally or civilly liable therefor.

(g)  If the person in charge of the approved treatment facility determines it is for the patient’s benefit, the patient shall be encouraged to agree to further diagnosis and appropriate voluntary treatment.

(h)  That any person taken to a seventy-two (72) hour evaluation and treatment facility shall be informed immediately that he has the right to request and take a chemical test in order to ascertain whether he is an intoxicated or addicted person. If the person requests to take the test and the professional person in charge of the facility then determines that the person taken to the facility is not intoxicated or addicted, he shall immediately release him. A record shall be maintained by the facility of the results of the test.

History:

[39-307A, added 1976, ch. 98, sec. 3, p. 417; am. 1987, ch. 289, sec. 7, p. 613.]