Court-Ordered Drug Treatment Information (Juanita Darling)

It is a strange fact of life that ugly and evil things often have interesting histories. The word "slave," for example, dates back to the Ancient Romans and was coined shortly after they conquered and enslaved most of Slavonia. As a result, the eponym became synonymous with a subjugated population. These slaves were given as rewards to Roman soldiers, but were known by their Latin name, "addict." In modern usage, the word describes someone whose life is controlled by anything other than his own will. This description is fitting when applied to any form of addition.

According to the latest report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an estimated 22 million Americans were dependent on or abused drugs. That's more than 8 percent of the total population over the age of 12! Most of these addicts were heavy or binge drinkers. About one-third of them required treatment for a drug problem and rest needed help with a serious alcohol issue.

The Problem behind the Problem

As anyone who has ever staged an intervention could tell you, the most difficult step on the road to recovery is getting the addict to admit he actually has a problem. Only about one in ten substance abusers say they need help. Fortunately then, most of them get it! But what are the other 90 percent of friends, family members, and loved ones to do with an addict that refuses to admit and accept that he has a problem?

Court-Ordered Drug Treatment

As a general rule, Americans have a live-and-let-live attitude toward most issues. But when something impacts their lives or the lives of their loved one, they have no compunction about speaking up. Nearly one-third of all driving fatalities involve alcohol! On a national scale, that's nearly 10,000 people who were killed by addicts, abusers, and people with extremely poor judgment.

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), a nonprofit organization, Florida has more drunk driving deaths than all but two U.S. states (Texas and California). It is no surprise then that legislators in the Sunshine State have taken extreme measures to stop motorists from driving under the influence. In addition to having some of the toughest drunk driving laws in the nation, Florida also follows the problem to its roots. In other words, it seeks to identify and provide treatment for the people who are most likely to drive under the influence, i.e., alcoholics.

The Florida Marchman Act gives the families and friends of addicts the power to have them involuntarily committed for addiction treatment should they refuse to listen to reason. It is one of the most progressive pieces of legistlation that addresses a problem that has become a public safety threat.

How does it work?

Under the law, only a spouse, blood relative, or any three people who have proof of a person's addiction can invoke the Marchman Act. In most cases, it is the final recourse that loved ones can utilize to force an addict to get the help and treatment they so desperately need but won't accept on their own.

Although each case is different, most begin with a court-ordered intervention assessment. If the subject is found to be an addict, the court may then order stabilization or detox as well as long-term treatment and monitoring. Because it is a legal procedure, the petitioner must file paperwork with the court that essentially asks the judge to assess an accused addict for involuntary treatment under the Marchman Act. If the judge determines that the individual is a threat to society or to himself, he/she may sanction court-ordered drug treatment.

Addiction Recovery Legal Services, LLC provides guidance, advice, and legal aid to the families of substance abusers through the Florida Marchman Act. The law gives loved ones the legal right and authority to compel an addict to receive court-ordered drug treatment. For more information on this legal intervention process, please visit us at http://www.arlshelp.com.