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PUBLIC LAW 90-452-AUG. 3, 1968
[82 STAT.
Public Law 90-452 August 3, 1968 [H. R. 14330]
District of Columbia Alcoholic Rehabilitation Act of 1967. 67 Stat. 104.
61 Stat. 744.
Definitions.
AN ACT To provide a coinprelieiisive program for the control of drunkenness and the prevention and t r e a t m e n t of alcoholism in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Reprecent(itAce^ of the United Staten of America, in Congi'eHH aHembled^ That this Act may be cited as the "District of Cohimbia Alcoliolic Kehabilitation Act of 1967. SEC. 2. (a) Section 28 of the District of Columbia Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (D.C. Code, sec. 25-128) is amended— (1) by amendinji: the second sentence of subsection (a) to read as follows: '*No person in the District of Columbia, whether in or on public or private property, shall be intoxicated and endanger the safety of himself or of any other person or of property.""; (2) by striking out "this section" in subsection (b) and inserting in lieu thereof "subsection (a) of this section"; and (3) by adding after subsection (b) the following new subsection: "(c) Any person in the District of Columbia who is intoxicated in public and who is not conducting himself in such manner as to endanger the safety of himself or of any other person or of property, shall be dealt with in accordance with section 4 of the Act of August 4, 1947 (as amended by the District of Columbia Alcoholic Rehabilitation Act of 1967).*' (b) Section 400 of the Revised Statutes of the United States relating to the District of Columbia (D.C. Code, sec. 4-143) is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new sentence: "A meml)er of the police force who deals with an individual in accordance with section 4(b) of the Act of August 4, 1947 (as amended by the District of Columbia Alcoholic Rehabilitation Act of 1967) shall not be considered as having violated this section." SEC. 3. (a) The Act of August 4, 1947 (D.C. Code, secs. 24-501— 24-514, 2 5 - l l l a) is amended by striking out sections 1 through 13 and inserting in lieu thereof the following: "SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to establish a comprehensive program in the District of Columbia for the prevention of alcoholism and the rehabilitation of alcoholics, discourage abuse of alcoholic beverages, and provide for medical, psychiatric, and other scientific treatment of chronic alcoholics; to minimize the deleterious effects of excessive drinking; to reduce the financial burden imposed upon the people of the District of Columbia by the abusive use of alcoholic beverages, as is reflected in accidents, inefficiency of personnel, and absenteeism; and to establish methods of handling intoxication and alcoholism that will benefit the individual involved and more fully protect the public. In order to accomplish this purpose and alleviate intoxication and chronic alcoholism, all public officials in the District of Columbia shall take cognizance of the fact that public intoxication shall be handled as a public health problem rather than as a criminal offense, and that a chronic alcoholic is a sick person who needs, is entitled to, and shall be provided appropriate medical, psychiatric, institutional, advisory, and rehabilitativ'e treatment services of the highest caliber for his illness. "SEC. 2. For purposes of this Act— " (1) The term 'chronic alcoholic' means any person who chronically and habitually uses alcoholic beverages to the extent that (A) they injure his health or interfere with his social or economic functioning,
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