Proposed Law That Would Allow Doctors To Involuntary Commit Dug Addicts: Mayor

NEW YORK CITY — Mayor Eric Adams announced a proposed new law that would allow doctors to involuntary remove and commit individuals who are struggling with drug addiction.

The “Compassionate Interventions Act,” will give clinical professionals the authority they need to bring someone who appears to pose a danger to themselves or others due to substance use disorder to a hospital.

It also allows a judge to mandate treatment if the person is unwilling to enter treatment voluntarily.

The change would help put New York in line with 37 other states that authorize involuntary commitment for substance use disorders.

"Our administration refuses to turn our backs on New Yorkers in need, and with today’s announcement, we’re laying out a vision that will help get everyone the support they need. In the name of public safety, public health, and the public interest, we must rally to help those in crisis because ‘anything goes’ is worse than nothing at all," Adams said in a statement.

The mayor will also invest $27 million focused on improving access to substance use disorder treatment through outreach and enhanced treatment strategies.

The proposed will also incorporate several important legal reforms from last year’s Supportive Interventions Act that Albany has yet to take action on, such as recognizing a risk of psychiatric deterioration as a type of danger to oneself that may require a mental health commitment and mandating that hospitals screen all psychiatric inpatients for potential court-ordered assisted Outpatient treatment upon discharge, City officials said.

The Legal Aid Society criticized the announcement in a statement:

"Forcing New Yorkers struggling with addiction into involuntary detention is traumatic, raises serious civil rights concerns, and does nothing to address the root causes of substance use. Moreover, the Mayor’s attempt to frame this as a ‘quality of life’ measure is revealing — treating people in crisis as a nuisance to be swept out of public view rather than as human beings deserving care and dignity," the organization said.

“If the Mayor were serious about saving lives, he would invest in proven harm reduction strategies, voluntary treatment, permanent housing, and community-based supports — not policies that amount to state-sanctioned incarceration in medical settings."