Repealed or Renumbered
Repealed or Renumbered
The department shall carry out the development and implementation of a comprehensive program dealing with the prevention and treatment of, and research on, problems of alcoholism and drug abuse as they affect the state.
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act) applies to and governs all administrative action taken by the department under this chapter.
Subject to appropriation by the legislature, money in the mental health trust settlement income account established in AS 37.14.036 may be used to support a service provided under the authority given in this chapter.
(a) Patients in any approved treatment facility under this chapter shall be granted reasonable opportunities for adequate consultation with counsel, and for continuing contact with family and friends including the use of telephone facilities, consistent with an effective treatment program.
(b) Mail or other communication to or from a patient in any approved treatment facility may not be intercepted, read, or censored.
It is the policy of the state to recognize, appreciate, and reinforce the example set by its citizens who lead, believe in, and support a life of sobriety. It is also the policy of the state that alcoholics and intoxicated persons should not be criminally prosecuted for their consumption of alcoholic beverages and that they should be afforded a continuum of treatment that can introduce them to, and help them learn, new life skills and social skills that would be useful to them in attaining and maintaining normal lives as productive members of society.
When a person committed under AS 47.37.190 - 47.37.205 is absent from a treatment facility without authorization, the administrator, or that person's designee, may contact peace officers who shall take the person into custody and return the respondent to the treatment facility.
(a) Cities and boroughs may establish emergency service patrols. An emergency service patrol consists of persons trained to give assistance in public places to persons who are intoxicated. Members of an emergency service patrol shall be capable of providing first aid in emergency situations and shall be capable of transporting intoxicated persons to their homes and to and from public treatment facilities.
(b) The department shall adopt regulations for the establishment, training, and conduct of emergency service patrols.
(a) Except as required by AS 28.35.030 (d), the registration and other records of treatment facilities shall remain confidential and are privileged to the patient.
(b) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, the department may make available information from patients' records for purposes of research into the causes and treatment of alcoholism or drug abuse. Information may not disclose a patient's name.
(a) A patient in an approved treatment facility, or the person obligated to provide for the cost of treatment of a person committed under AS 47.37.010 - 47.37.270, is liable to the public or private facility for the cost of maintenance and treatment of the patient in accordance with rates established by the department.
(b) The department shall adopt regulations governing financial ability that take into consideration the income, savings, and other personal and real property of the person liable for the cost and maintenance of the patient.
(a) Nothing in this chapter affects a statute, ordinance, or regulation relating to
(1) drunken driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, or other similar offenses involving alcohol and the operation of a vehicle, aircraft, boat, machinery, or other equipment;
(2) the sale, purchase, dispensation, possession, or use of alcoholic beverages at specified times and places or by a particular class of persons, including prohibitions against drinking intoxicating beverages in specified public places; or
(3) being upon the traveled portion of a highway so as to be a hazard to the motoring public.
(b) Nothing in this chapter affects AS 11.81.630 , relating to the defense of voluntary intoxication.
(a) An alcoholic may voluntarily apply for treatment directly to an approved public treatment facility.
(b) Subject to regulations adopted by the department, the administrator in charge of an approved public treatment facility may determine who shall be admitted for treatment. If a person is refused admission to an approved public treatment facility, the administrator shall, if possible, refer the person to another approved public treatment facility.
(c) When a patient receiving inpatient care leaves an approved public treatment facility, the patient shall be encouraged to consent to appropriate outpatient or intermediate treatment. If it appears to the administrator in charge of the treatment facility that the patient is an alcoholic who requires help, the administrator shall arrange for assistance in obtaining supportive services and residential facilities.
The department shall adopt regulations for the admission of persons into the treatment program, considering available treatment resources and facilities, for the purpose of early and effective treatment of alcoholics, intoxicated persons, drug abusers, and inhalant abusers. In adopting the regulations the department shall be guided by the following standards:
(1) if possible a patient must be treated on a voluntary rather than an involuntary basis;
(2) a patient must be initially assigned or transferred to outpatient or intermediate treatment, unless the patient is found to require inpatient treatment;
(3) a person may not be denied treatment solely because the person has withdrawn from treatment against medical advice on a prior occasion or because the person has relapsed after earlier treatment;
(4) an individualized treatment plan must be prepared and maintained on a current basis for each patient;
(5) provision must be made for a continuum of coordinated treatment services, so that a person who leaves a facility or a form of treatment will use other appropriate treatment and facilities.
(a) A participant in a residential drug abuse or alcoholism treatment program may be paid wages for work therapy. The payment of wages for work therapy by a drug or alcoholism treatment program shall be considered an allowable cost under the department's regulations governing costs a grantee may pay with money received from a grant.
(b) No part of the wage earned by the patient worker may be deducted for the cost of room, board, or services. The program, however, after the payment of wages, may assess and collect the reasonable cost of treatment according to rates established under AS 47.37.240 , and on the same basis it assesses and collects from nonworking patients.
(c) Wages earned by the patient worker may be held in trust by the program for the benefit of the patient, and, except as provided in (d) of this section, may be disbursed by the program only with the patient's consent
(1) for the support of the patient's dependents;
(2) to pay a civil judgment;
(3) for the purchase of gifts, clothing, and items of personal use;
(4) to pay restitution or a fine;
(5) for other purposes considered appropriate by the treatment program.
(d) Wages earned by the patient worker may be disbursed without the patient's consent in accordance with a final court order.
(a) An interdepartmental coordinating committee is created, composed of the commissioners of health and social services, education, transportation and public facilities, labor, and public safety, and the director of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. The committee shall meet at least twice annually at the call of the commissioner of health and social services who is its chairman. The committee shall provide for the coordination and exchange of information on all programs relating to alcoholism or drug abuse and act as a permanent liaison among state departments engaged in activities affecting alcoholics, intoxicated persons, and drug abusers. The committee shall assist the commissioner of health and social services in formulating a comprehensive plan for prevention of alcoholism and drug abuse and for treatment of alcoholics, intoxicated persons, and drug abusers.
(b) In exercising its coordinating functions, the committee shall assure that the appropriate state agencies
(1) provide all necessary medical, social, treatment, and educational services for alcoholics, intoxicated persons, and drug abusers and for the prevention of alcoholism and drug abuse, without unnecessary duplication of services;
(2) cooperate in the use of facilities and in the treatment of alcoholics, intoxicated persons, and drug abusers;
(3) adopt approaches for the prevention of alcoholism and drug abuse and the treatment of alcoholics, intoxicated persons, and drug abusers consistent with the policy of AS 47.37.010 - 47.37.270.
(a) A spouse or guardian, a relative, the certifying physician, physician assistant, advanced nurse practitioner, or the administrator in charge of an approved public treatment facility may petition the court for a 30-day involuntary commitment order. The petition must allege that the person is an alcoholic or drug abuser who (1) has threatened, attempted to inflict, or inflicted physical harm on another and that unless committed is likely to inflict physical harm on another; or (2) is incapacitated by alcohol or drugs. A refusal to undergo treatment does not constitute evidence of lack of judgment as to the need for treatment. The petition must be accompanied by a certificate of a licensed physician, physician assistant, or advanced nurse practitioner who has examined the person within two days before submission of the petition, unless the person whose commitment is sought has refused to submit to a medical examination, in which case the fact of refusal must be alleged in the petition. The certificate must set out the physician's, physician assistant's, or advanced nurse practitioner's findings of the examination in support of the allegations of the petition.
(b) After the petition is filed, the court shall fix a date for a hearing no later than 10 days after the date the petition was filed. A copy of the petition and of the notice of the hearing, including the date fixed by the court, shall be served on
(1) the petitioner;
(2) the person whose commitment is sought or the person's guardian, if any;
(3) the attorney representing the person whose commitment is sought;
(4) the administrator in charge of the approved public or private treatment facility in which the committed person has been committed for emergency care; and
(5) any other person the court considers appropriate.
(c) A person who is the subject of a petition filed under this section does not have the right to a jury.
(a) The department shall establish standards for facilities, which standards may vary in their requirements and stringency according to the population, price level, remoteness, access to transportation, and availability of ancillary services of the area to be served, and shall fix the fees to be charged for the required inspections of those facilities. A facility shall meet the applicable standards before it is approved as a public or private treatment facility. The standards shall be enacted in a manner that will provide protection of the health, safety, and well-being of clients of the affected programs and protection for the affected programs from exposure to malpractice and liability actions.
(b) The department shall inspect, on a regular basis, approved public and private treatment facilities at reasonable times and in a reasonable manner.
(c) The department shall maintain a list of approved public and private treatment facilities.
(d) An approved public and private treatment facility shall file with the department, on request, data, statistics, schedules, and information which the department reasonably requires. An approved public or private treatment facility that without good cause fails to furnish any data, statistics, schedules, or information as requested, or files fraudulent returns of them, shall be removed from the list of approved treatment facilities.
(e) The department, after holding a hearing under the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (AS 44.62), may suspend, revoke, limit, restrict, or refuse to grant an approval for a treatment facility, for failure to meet its standards.
(f) Upon petition of the department and after a hearing held upon reasonable notice to the facility, the district court may issue a warrant to an officer or employee of the department authorizing the officer or employee to enter and inspect at reasonable times, and examine the books and accounts of an approved public or private treatment facility refusing to consent to inspection or examination by the department or which the department has reasonable cause to believe is operating in violation of this chapter.
(a) At any time during a person's 30-day commitment, the director of an approved public facility or approved private facility may file with the court a petition for a 180-day commitment of that person. The petition must include all material required under AS 47.37.190 (a) except that references to '30 days' shall be read as '180 days' and must allege that the person continues to be an alcoholic or drug abuser who is incapacitated by alcohol or drugs, or who continues to be at risk of serious physical harm or illness.
(b) Upon the filing of a petition for recommitment under (a) of this section, the court shall fix a date for hearing no later than 10 days after the date the petition was filed. A copy of the petition and of the notice of hearing, including the date fixed by the court, shall be served on
(1) the petitioner;
(2) the person whose recommitment is sought or the person's guardian, if any;
(3) the attorney representing the person whose recommitment is sought;
(4) the original petitioner under AS 47.37.190 (a), if different from the petitioner for recommitment;
(5) any other person the court considers appropriate.
(c) If, not less than two days before the date set for a recommitment hearing under (a) of this section, the person being recommitted or the person's counsel or advisor files a written request with the court, the court shall summon and impanel a jury of six residents of the judicial district to hear and consider evidence concerning the condition of the person being recommitted.
(d) At the hearing regarding recommitment for a 180-day period, the court or jury shall proceed as provided in AS 47.37.200 (a) and (b).
(e) The provisions of AS 47.37.200 (c) - (h) shall apply equally to periods of recommitment under this section, except that references to '30 days' shall be read as '180 days.'
The department may
(1) plan, establish, and maintain programs for the prevention and treatment of alcoholism, drug abuse, and misuse of hazardous volatile materials and substances by inhalant abusers;
(2) make contracts and award grants necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers, including contracts with the grants to public and private agencies, organizations, and individuals, to pay them for services rendered or furnished to alcoholics, intoxicated persons, drug abusers, or inhalant abusers; to the maximum extent possible, contracts and grants must be for a period of two years; contracts under this paragraph are governed by AS 36.30 (State Procurement Code);
(3) solicit and accept for use a gift of money or property or a grant of money, services, or property from the federal government, the state, or a political subdivision of it or a private source, and do all things necessary to cooperate with the federal government or any of its agencies in making an application for a grant;
(4) administer or supervise the administration of the provisions relating to alcoholics, intoxicated persons, drug abusers, and inhalant abusers of state plans submitted for federal funding under federal health, welfare, or treatment legislation;
(5) coordinate its activities and cooperate with alcoholism, drug abuse, and inhalant abuse programs in this and other states, and make contracts and other joint or cooperative arrangements with state, local, or private agencies for the treatment of alcoholics, intoxicated persons, drugs abusers, and inhalant abusers, and for the common advancement of alcoholism, drug abuse, and inhalant abuse programs in this and other states;
(6) keep records and engage in research and the gathering of relevant statistics;
(7) do other acts necessary to implement the authority expressly granted to it;
(8) acquire, hold, or dispose of real property or any interest in it, and construct, lease, or otherwise provide treatment facilities for alcoholics, intoxicated persons, drug abusers, and inhalant abusers; however, the department shall encourage local initiative, involvement, and financial participation under grants-in-aid whenever possible in preference to the construction or operation of facilities directly by the department; contracting and construction under this paragraph are governed by AS 36.30 (State Procurement Code).
(a) Except as provided under (b) of this section, a person acting in good faith upon either actual knowledge or reliable information who takes a person into protective custody or detains a person under AS 47.37.170 - 47.37.180, or who petitions for commitment under AS 47.37.180 - 47.37.205, is not subject to civil or criminal liability.
(b) The following persons may not be held civilly or criminally liable for detaining or failing to detain a person under AS 47.37.170 - 47.37.270 or for releasing a person under AS 47.37.170 - 47.37.270 at or before the end of the period for which the person was admitted or committed for protective custody or treatment if the persons have performed their duties in good faith and without gross negligence:
(1) an officer of an approved public or private treatment facility;
(2) the administrator of an approved public or private treatment facility, and the staff of an approved public or private treatment facility;
(3) a public official performing functions necessary to the administration of AS 47.37.170 - 47.37.270;
(4) a peace officer or other person responsible for detaining or transporting a person under AS 47.37.170 - 47.37.270.
(c) A person who knowingly initiates an involuntary commitment petition under AS 47.37.180 - 47.37.205 without having good cause to believe that the other person is an alcoholic or drug abuser and is incapacitated or at risk of serious physical harm or illness if not treated is guilty of a class C felony.
(a) [Repealed, Sec. 12 ch 42 SLA 1997].
(b) A school district, municipality, nonprofit organization, local governing body of an established village, or community organization may file an application with the department for a community action against substance abuse grant. The application must include a description of the purpose for which grant funds will be used, goals to be achieved by the program or project, methods of measuring achievement of goals, a proposed budget, and statements of the need for and support of the proposed program or project.
(c) Community action against substance abuse grant funds awarded under this section may be used for
(1) Police-In-School Liaison programs staffed by officers that are certified by the Alaska Police Standards Council;
(2) technical assistance for neighborhood based substance abuse prevention or treatment programs;
(3) coordinators for court ordered community service;
(4) preventative or educational programs for youth that involve the community, parents, youth, and local schools;
(5) programs or projects that the department determines are effective in preventing or treating substance abuse at the community level;
(6) supervised youth recreation programs that focus on preventing or treating substance abuse; or
(7) youth assessment and referral programs that provide substance abuse screening services to and monitor compliance for a minor required to participate in an alcoholism or drug education or rehabilitation treatment program under AS 28.15.183 or before the minor's driver's license may be reinstated under AS 28.15.211 .
(d) A proposed program or project that includes matching local funds or in-kind contributions shall have priority over a proposed program or project that does not include matching local funds or in-kind contributions. Grants awarded under this section are subject to the restrictions on use provided under AS 37.05.321 .
(e) In this section,
(1) 'established village' means an unincorporated community that is in
(A) the unorganized borough and that has 25 or more permanent residents; or
(B) an organized borough, has 25 or more permanent residents, and
(i) is on a road system and is located more than 50 miles outside the boundary limits of a unified municipality, or
(ii) is not on a road system and is located more than 15 miles outside the boundary limits of a unified municipality;
(2) 'local governing body' has the meaning given in AS 04.21.080 (b);
(3) 'nonprofit organization' means an organization that qualifies for exemption from taxation under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) or (4) (Internal Revenue Code).
(a) The department shall establish a comprehensive and coordinated program for the treatment of alcoholics, intoxicated persons, drug abusers, and inhalant abusers. The department may divide the state into appropriate regions to conduct the program and establish standards for the development of the program on the regional level. In establishing the regions, consideration shall be given to the city and borough lines and population concentrations and, when feasible, programs must be established with maximum local community involvement.
(b) The program of the department must include
(1) emergency treatment provided by a facility affiliated with or part of the medical service of a general hospital;
(2) inpatient treatment;
(3) intermediate treatment;
(4) outpatient and follow-up treatment; and
(5) standards for alcohol safety action programs; the standards may vary in their requirements and stringency according to the population, price level, remoteness, access to transportation, and availability of ancillary services of the area to be served; a program must meet the applicable standards before it is approved by the department as an alcohol safety action program; the standards required under this paragraph shall be established in a manner that provides protection of the health, safety, and well-being of clients of the affected programs and protection for the affected programs from exposure to malpractice and liability actions.
(c) The department shall ensure that adequate and appropriate treatment is provided to alcoholics and intoxicated persons admitted under AS 47.37.160 - 47.37.190 within the limits of available state and federal funds.
(d) The department shall maintain, supervise, and control all facilities operated by it subject to the regulations of the department.
(e) If possible, the department shall coordinate the activities of the program with all appropriate public and private resources.
(f) [Repealed, Sec. 35 ch 126 SLA 1994].
(g) The department may contract for the use of any facility as an approved public treatment facility if the department, subject to the regulations of the department, considers this an effective and economical course to follow. Contracting under this subsection is governed by AS 36.30 (State Procurement Code).
(h) The department shall
(1) inspect, on a regular basis, approved public and private alcohol safety action programs at reasonable times and in a reasonable manner; and
(2) maintain a list of approved public and private alcohol safety action programs.
(i) An approved public and private alcohol safety action program shall file with the department on request data, statistics, schedules, and information that the department reasonably requires. An approved program that fails without good cause to furnish any data, statistics, schedules, or information as requested, or files fraudulent returns of them, shall be removed from the list of approved programs.
(j) The department, after holding a hearing under the provisions of AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act), may suspend, revoke, limit, restrict, or refuse to grant an approval for an alcohol safety action program for failure to meet standards established under (b) of this section.
(a) An intoxicated person who (1) has threatened, attempted to inflict, or inflicted physical harm on another or is likely to inflict physical harm on another unless committed, or (2) is incapacitated by alcohol or drugs, may be committed to an approved public treatment facility for emergency treatment. A refusal to undergo treatment does not constitute evidence of lack of judgment as to the need for treatment.
(b) The certifying physician, physician assistant, advanced nurse practitioner, spouse, guardian, or relative of the person to be committed, or any other responsible person, may make a written application for commitment under this section, directed to the administrator of the approved public treatment facility. The application must state facts to support the need for emergency treatment and be accompanied by a physician's, physician assistant's, or advanced nurse practitioner's certificate supporting the need for emergency treatment and stating that the physician, physician assistant, or advanced nurse practitioner has examined the person sought to be committed within two days before the certificate's date.
(c) Upon approval of the application by the administrator in charge of the facility, the person may be brought to the facility by a peace officer, a health officer, a member of the emergency service patrol, the applicant for commitment, the patient's spouse, the patient's guardian, or any other interested person. The person shall be retained at the facility to which the person was admitted, or transferred to another appropriate public or private treatment facility, until discharged under (e) of this section. However, a person may not be detained under this section for more than 48 hours unless a district or superior court judge has reviewed and approved the commitment application.
(d) The administrator in charge of an approved public treatment facility may refuse an application if in the administrator's opinion the application and certificate fail to sustain the grounds for commitment.
(e) When on the advice of the medical staff the administrator determines that the grounds for commitment no longer exist, the administrator shall discharge a person committed under this section. A person committed under this section may not be detained in a treatment facility for more than five days. If a petition for involuntary commitment under AS 47.37.190 has been filed within the five days and the administrator in charge of an approved public treatment facility finds that grounds for emergency commitment still exist, the administrator may detain the person until the petition has been heard and determined, but no longer than 10 days after filing the petition.
(f) A copy of the written application for commitment and of the physician's, physician assistant's, or advanced nurse practitioner's certificate, and a written explanation of the person's right to legal counsel, shall be given to the person within 24 hours after commitment by the administrator, who shall provide a reasonable opportunity for the person to consult with legal counsel.
(g) The administrator of an approved public treatment facility may accept an application for commitment under this section from a health facility and may authorize the health facility to hold the person who is the subject of the commitment petition at the health facility as long as medically necessary, before transferring the person to the approved public treatment facility. An administrator who accepts an application for commitment from a health facility shall comply with the provisions of (c) - (f) of this section if the person being committed is held for longer than 48 hours from the time the administrator accepts the application for commitment under this subsection. A person committed under this subsection shall be transported from the health facility to the approved public treatment facility as soon as the person is discharged from the health facility. If the person being committed under this subsection is physically present at the health facility at the time an application for extension of detention is filed under (c) of this section or is physically present at the health facility when a petition for involuntary commitment is filed under (e) of this section, the administrator accepting the application for commitment under this subsection shall inform the court of where the person being committed is being held and when the person being committed is expected to be capable of being transferred to the approved public treatment facility.
(a) At the hearing for a 30-day commitment required under AS 47.37.190(b), the court shall hear all relevant testimony, including, if possible, the testimony of at least one person who has examined the person whose commitment is sought under AS 47.37.180 (b) or 47.37.190(a). The person whose commitment is sought shall be present unless the court believes that being present is likely to be injurious to the person, in which case the court may conduct the hearing telephonically. The court may examine the person in open court, or, if advisable, examine the person out of court. If the person has refused to be examined under AS 47.37.180 (b) or 47.37.190(a), the person shall be given an opportunity to request examination by a court-appointed licensed physician, physician assistant, or advanced nurse practitioner. If the person fails to request a medical examination and there is sufficient evidence to believe that the allegations of the petition are true, or, if the court believes that more medical evidence is necessary, the court may issue a temporary order committing the person to a private or public facility for a period of not more than five days for purposes of a diagnostic examination.
(b) If after hearing all relevant evidence, including the results of any diagnostic examination by the private or public facility, the court finds that grounds for involuntary commitment have been clearly established, the court shall issue an order of 30-day commitment to the private or public facility.
(c) A person committed for a 30-day period shall remain in the custody of a private or public facility for treatment for a period of not more than 30 days. At the end of the 30-day period, the person shall be automatically discharged unless the director of the approved public facility or approved private facility, before the expiration of the period, files a petition for recommitment under AS 47.37.205 .
(d) A private or public facility must be capable of providing adequate and appropriate treatment for a person in its custody. A public facility may transfer a person in its custody from one approved public treatment facility to another if the transfer is medically advisable.
(e) A person committed to the custody of an approved public facility or an approved private facility shall be discharged at any time before the end of the period for which the person has been committed if either of the following conditions is met:
(1) further treatment is not likely to bring about significant improvement in the person's condition; or
(2) treatment is no longer adequate or appropriate.
(f) The court shall inform the person whose commitment or recommitment is sought of the right to contest the petition, to be represented by counsel at every stage of the proceedings relating to commitment and recommitment, to have counsel appointed by the court or provided by the court, if the person is unable to obtain counsel, and of the right to a jury trial if recommitment is sought under AS 47.37.205 . The person whose commitment or recommitment is sought shall be informed of the right to be examined by a licensed physician of the person's choice. If the person is unable to obtain a licensed physician and requests examination by a physician, the court shall appoint a licensed physician for the examination.
(g) If a private treatment facility agrees with the request of a competent patient or the patient's parent, adult sibling, adult child, or guardian to accept the patient for treatment, the administrator of the public treatment facility shall transfer the patient to the private treatment facility.
(h) A person committed under this chapter may at any time seek discharge from commitment by writ of habeas corpus under AS 12.75.
In this chapter
(1) 'alcoholic or drug abuser' means a person who demonstrates increased tolerance to alcohol or drugs, who suffers from withdrawal when alcohol or drugs are not available, whose habitual lack of self-control concerning the use of alcohol or drugs causes significant hazard to the person's health, and who continues to use alcohol or drugs despite the adverse consequences;
(2) 'approved private treatment facility' or 'private facility' means a private agency meeting the standards prescribed in AS 47.37.140 (a) and approved under AS 47.37.140 (c);
(3) 'approved public treatment facility' or 'public facility' means a treatment agency operating under the direction and control of the department or providing treatment under this chapter through a contract with the department under AS 47.37.130 (g) or through a grant awarded under AS 47.30.475 , and meeting the standards prescribed in AS 47.37.140(a) and approved under AS 47.37.140 (c);
(4) 'commissioner' means the commissioner of health and social services;
(5) 'department' means the Department of Health and Social Services;
(6) [Repealed E.O. No. 108, Sec. 88 (2003)].
(7) [Repealed E.O. No. 108, Sec. 88 (2003)].
(8) 'drugs' means a drug that is included in the controlled substance schedules set out in AS 11.71.140 - 11.71.190;
(9) 'emergency service patrol' means a patrol established under AS 47.37.230;
(10) 'hazardous volatile material or substance'
(A) means a material or substance that is readily vaporizable at room temperature and whose vapors or gases, when inhaled,
(i) pose an immediate threat to the life or health of the person; or
(ii) are likely to have adverse delayed effects on the health of the person;
(B) includes, but is not limited to,
(i) gasoline;
(ii) materials and substances containing petroleum distillates; and
(iii) common household materials and substances whose containers bear a notice warning that inhalation of vapors or gases may cause physical harm;
(11) 'incapacitated by alcohol or drugs' means a person who, as a result of alcohol or drugs, is unconscious or whose judgment is otherwise so impaired that the person (A) is incapable of realizing and making rational decisions with respect to the need for treatment and (B) is unable to take care of the person's basic safety or personal needs, including food, clothing, shelter, or medical care;
(12) 'incompetent person' means a person who has been adjudged incompetent by the appropriate court;
(13) 'inhalant abuse' means the misuse of a hazardous volatile material or substance by inhaling its vapors;
(14) 'intoxicated person' means a person whose mental or physical functioning is substantially impaired as a result of the use of alcohol or drugs;
(15) 'treatment' means the broad range of emergency, outpatient, intermediate, and inpatient services and care that may be extended to alcoholics, intoxicated persons, or drug abusers, including diagnostic evaluation, medical, psychiatric, psychological, and social service care, vocational rehabilitation and career counseling;
(16) 'work therapy'
(A) means an activity that involves a patient in basic employment skills and assists the patient in reintegration into a community;
(B) does not include
(i) activities such as personal housekeeping chores or cooperative responsibilities expected of each patient in the program; or
(ii) work that produces goods or services for sale or distribution, the proceeds of which would be returned to the owners, operators, or businesses of the rehabilitation program.
(a) An intoxicated 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 or a person who appears to be intoxicated in or upon licensed premises where intoxicating liquors are sold or consumed who refuses to leave upon being requested to leave by the owner, an employee, or a peace officer may be taken into protective custody and assisted by a peace officer or a member of the emergency service patrol to the person's home, an approved public treatment facility, an approved private treatment facility, or another appropriate health facility. If all of the preceding facilities, including the person's home, are determined to be unavailable, a person taken into protective custody and assisted under this subsection may be taken to a state or municipal detention facility in the area. However, emergency protective custody under this subsection may not include placement of a minor in a jail or secure facility.
(b) A person who appears to be incapacitated by alcohol or drugs in a public place shall be taken into protective custody by a peace officer or a member of the emergency service patrol and immediately brought to an approved public treatment facility, an approved private treatment facility, or another appropriate health facility or service for emergency medical treatment. If no treatment facility or emergency medical service is available, a person who appears to be incapacitated by alcohol or drugs in a public place shall be taken to a state or municipal detention facility in the area if that appears necessary for the protection of the person's health or safety. However, emergency protective custody under this subsection may not include placement of a minor in a jail or secure facility.
(c) A person who voluntarily appears or is brought to an approved public treatment facility shall be examined by a licensed physician or other qualified health practitioner as soon as possible. The department shall, by regulation, determine which health practitioners may be authorized to perform the examination. After the examination, the person may be admitted as a patient or referred to another health facility. The approved public treatment facility which refers the person shall arrange for transportation.
(d) A person who, after medical examination at an approved private treatment facility, or another appropriate health facility or service for emergency medical treatment, is found to be incapacitated by alcohol or drugs at the time of admission or to have become incapacitated by alcohol or drugs at any time after admission, may not be detained at a facility after the person is no longer incapacitated by alcohol or drugs. A person may not be detained at a facility if the person remains incapacitated by alcohol for more than 48 hours after admission as a patient. A person may consent to remain in the facility as long as the physician in charge considers it appropriate.
(e) A person who is not admitted to an approved public treatment facility, is not referred to another health facility, and has no funds, may be taken to the person's home, if any. If the person has no home, the approved public treatment facility shall assist the person in obtaining shelter.
(f) If a patient is admitted to an approved public treatment facility, family or next of kin shall be promptly notified. If an adult patient who is not incapacitated by alcohol or drugs requests that there be no notification of next of kin, the request shall be granted.
(g) A person may not bring an action for damages based on the decision under this section to take or not to take an intoxicated person or a person incapacitated by alcohol or drugs into protective custody, unless the action is for damages caused by gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
(h) If the physician in charge of the approved public treatment facility determines it is for the patient's benefit, an attempt shall be made to encourage the patient to submit to further diagnosis and appropriate voluntary treatment.
(i) A person taken to a detention facility under (a) or (b) of this section may be detained only (1) until a treatment facility or emergency medical service is made available, (2) until the person is no longer intoxicated or incapacitated by alcohol or drugs, or (3) for a maximum period of 12 hours, whichever occurs first. A detaining officer or a detention facility official may release a person who is detained under (a) or (b) of this section at any time to the custody of a responsible adult. A peace officer or a member of the emergency service patrol, in detaining a person under (a) or (b) of this section and in taking the person to a treatment facility, an emergency medical service, or a detention facility, is taking the person into protective custody and the officer or patrol member shall make reasonable efforts to provide for and protect the health and safety of the detainee. In taking a person into protective custody under (a) and (b) of this section, a detaining officer, a member of the emergency service patrol, or a detention facility official may take reasonable steps for self-protection, including a full protective search of the person of a detainee. Protective custody under (a) and (b) of this section does not constitute an arrest and no entry or other record may be made to indicate that the person detained has been arrested or charged with a crime, except that a confidential record may be made that is necessary for the administrative purposes of the facility to which the person has been taken or that is necessary for statistical purposes where the person's name may not be disclosed.
(j) [Repealed, Sec. 21 ch 66 SLA 1996].
(k) In this section, 'minor' means an individual who is under 18 years of age.
The department shall
(1) develop, encourage, and foster statewide, regional, and local plans and programs for the prevention of alcoholism and drug abuse and treatment of alcoholics, intoxicated persons, drug abusers, and inhalant abusers in cooperation with public and private agencies, organizations, and individuals, and provide technical assistance and consultation services for these purposes;
(2) coordinate the efforts and enlist the assistance of all public and private agencies, organizations, and individuals interested in prevention of alcoholism, drug abuse, and inhalant abuse, and treatment of alcoholics, intoxicated persons, drug abusers, and inhalant abusers;
(3) cooperate with the Department of Corrections in establishing and conducting programs to provide treatment for alcoholics, intoxicated persons, drug abusers, and inhalant abusers in or on parole from penal institutions;
(4) cooperate with the Department of Education and Early Development, school boards, schools, police departments, courts, and other public and private agencies, organizations, and individuals in establishing programs for the prevention of alcoholism, drug abuse, and inhalant abuse, and treatment of alcoholics, intoxicated persons, drug abusers, and inhalant abusers, and preparing curriculum materials for use at all levels of school education;
(5) prepare, publish, evaluate, and disseminate educational material dealing with the nature and effects of alcohol and drugs, and the misuse of hazardous volatile substances;
(6) develop and implement, as an integral part of treatment programs, an educational program for use in the treatment of alcoholics, intoxicated persons, drug abusers, and inhalant abusers that includes the dissemination of information concerning the nature and effects of alcohol, drugs, and hazardous volatile substances;
(7) organize and foster training programs for all persons engaged in treatment of alcoholics, intoxicated persons, drug abusers, and inhalant abusers, and establish standards for training paraprofessional alcoholism, drug abuse, and inhalant abuse workers;
(8) sponsor and encourage research into the causes and nature of alcoholism, drug abuse, and inhalant abuse, and the treatment of alcoholics, intoxicated persons, drug abusers, and inhalant abusers, and serve as a clearinghouse for information relating to alcoholism, drug abuse, and inhalant abuse;
(9) specify uniform methods for keeping statistical information by public and private agencies, organizations, and individuals, and collect and make available relevant statistical information, including number of persons treated, frequency of admission and readmission, and frequency and duration of treatment;
(10) conduct program planning activities approved by the Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse;
(11) review all state health, welfare, and treatment plans to be submitted for federal funding, and advise the commissioner on provisions to be included relating to alcoholics, intoxicated persons, drug abusers, and inhalant abusers;
(12) assist in the development of, and cooperate with, alcohol, drug abuse, and inhalant abuse education and treatment programs for employees of state and local governments and businesses and industries in the state;
(13) use the support and assistance of interested persons in the community, particularly recovered alcoholics, drug abusers, and inhalant abusers, to encourage alcoholics, drug abusers, and inhalant abusers to voluntarily undergo treatment;
(14) cooperate with the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities in establishing and conducting programs designed to deal with the problem of persons operating motor vehicles while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage, inhalant, or controlled substance, and develop and approve alcohol information courses required to be taken by drivers under AS 28.15 or made available to drivers to reduce points assessed for violation of traffic laws;
(15) encourage hospitals and other appropriate health facilities to admit without discrimination alcoholics, intoxicated persons, drug abusers, and inhalant abusers and to provide them with adequate and appropriate treatment;
(16) encourage all health insurance programs to include alcoholism and drug abuse as a covered illness;
(17) prepare an annual report covering the activities of the department and notify the legislature that the report is available;
(18) develop and implement a training program on alcoholism and drug abuse for employees of state and municipal governments, and private institutions;
(19) develop curriculum materials on drug and alcohol abuse and the misuse of hazardous volatile substances for use in grades kindergarten through 12, as well as a course of instruction for teachers to be charged with presenting the curriculum;
(20) develop and implement or designate, in cooperation with other state or local agencies, a juvenile alcohol safety action program that provides alcohol and substance abuse screening, referral, and monitoring of persons under 18 years of age who have been referred to it by
(A) a court in connection with a charge or conviction of a violation or misdemeanor related to the use of alcohol or a controlled substance;
(B) the agency responsible for the administration of motor vehicle laws in connection with a license action related to the use of alcohol or a controlled substance; or
(C) department staff after a delinquency adjudication that is related to the use of alcohol or a controlled substance;
(21) develop and implement, or designate, in cooperation with other state or local agencies, an alcohol safety action program that provides alcohol and substance abuse screening, referral, and monitoring services to persons who have been referred by a court in connection with a charge or conviction of a misdemeanor involving the use of a motor vehicle, aircraft, or watercraft and alcohol or a controlled substance, or referred by an agency of the state with the responsibility for administering motor vehicle laws in connection with a driver's license action involving the use of alcohol or a controlled substance.
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