MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                          885

and implemented through the combined and correlated efforts of
federal, state, local communities and private individuals and organ-
izations.

(b)    A comprehensive program of compulsory treatment of drug
addicts is essential to the protection and promotion of the health and
welfare of the inhabitants of the State as well as to discourage the
violation of laws relating to the sale, possession and use of narcotics
and other dangerous drugs. Drug addicts are estimated to be respon-
sible for one-half the crimes committed in the City of Baltimore
alone and the problem of drug addiction is rapidly spreading into the
suburbs and other parts of the State. This threat to the peace and
safety of the inhabitants of the State must be met. Not only crime,
but unemployment, poverty, loss of human dignity and of the ability
to fill a meaningful and productive role in the community, as well as
damage to the physical and mental health of the addict himself are
all by-products of this spreading disease. The drug addict needs
help before he is compelled to resort to crime to support his habit.
The drug addict who commits a crime needs help to break his addic-
tion. A comprehensive program of treatment, rehabilitation and
after-care for drug addicts can fill these needs.

(c)    Experience has demonstrated that drug addicts can be re-
habilitated and returned to useful lives only through extended periods
of treatment in a controlled environment followed by supervision in
an after-care program. The purpose of this Article is to provide a
comprehensive program of human renewal of drug addicts in re-
habilitation centers and after-care programs. The comprehensive
program provided by this Article is designed to assist the rehabilita-
tion of drug addicts. It applies to addicts who are not accused of
crimes, as well as addicts convicted of crimes. The program is
further designed to protect society against the social contagion of
drug addiction and to meet the need of drug addicts for medical,
psychological and vocational rehabilitation, while safeguarding the
liberty of individuals against undue interference.

2. Definitions.

As used in this Article—

(a)    "the Authority" means the Drug Abuse Authority.

(b)    "the Center" means the Drug Addiction Rehabilitation
Center.

(c)    "the Council" means the Advisory Council on Drug Abuse.

(d)    "drug abuse" means any misuse by any person of or depend-
ence by any person on any drug whose use is either prohibited or
regulated by Section 276, Section 313A, and Section 313B of Article
27 including, but not limited to, narcotic and non-narcotic drug addic-
tion and narcotic and non-narcotic drug habituation.

(e)    "drug addiction" means a physical and psychological depend-
ence on any drug enumerated in Section 276, Section 313A, and
Section 313B of Article 27.

(f)&