(a) For purposes of this section only, the following phrases shall have meanings respectively ascribed to them:

(1) “A person under the influence of drugs” shall mean a person whose powers of self-control have been substantially impaired because of the consumption of a drug described in Chapter 47 of Title 16.

(2) “Drug abuser” shall mean any person who compulsively and habitually uses drugs to the extent that they injure the person’s health and interfere with the person’s social and economic functioning.

(b) The Director of the Division of Drug Abuse Control shall designate certain hospital, clinic or other treatment facilities as “drug detoxification centers.” The Director shall so designate such a facility only when the Director is satisfied that the facility has the medical and other staff, as well as the equipment, to diagnose and treat drug abusers as provided for in this section.

(c) Upon arrest for any crime which is not a felony under this title or Title 16, an arrestee who believes that the arrestee is under the influence of drugs as defined in subsection (a) of this section shall have the right to request immediate admission to a drug detoxification center. Upon such request, the arresting officer shall, as soon as transportation is available and as soon as conditions at the scene of the arrest permit, arrange to have the arrestee transported to the nearest available drug detoxification center.

(1) No expression of a desire to be admitted to a drug detoxification center shall be admissible in evidence in any criminal prosecution against the arrestee.

(2) Notwithstanding any provision of this Code to the contrary, no arrestee shall be heard to object in any court to failure to arraign the arrestee before a magistrate during the period of transportation to or stay in a drug detoxification center, or for a reasonable time not to exceed 24 hours after release.

(3) An arresting officer shall, when the officer suspects an arrestee of being under the influence of drugs, inform the arrestee of the rights under this section.

(4) No arrestee may revoke a request to be taken to a drug detoxification center after having made that request, and any drug detoxification center to which an arrestee is brought must consent to admission and testing of the arrestee, subject to limitations of facilities and staff.

(d) A drug detoxification center shall initially test admittees under this section to determine if they are under the influence of drugs or are drug abusers. If tests prove negative, the admittee shall be released forthwith to the custody of the arresting authorities. Any arrestee requesting admission to a drug detoxification center is deemed to consent to all medical and psychiatric tests considered necessary by the center to carry out its function under this section. The results of tests taken at a drug detoxification center or statements made by admittees under this section to drug detoxification center staff shall not be admissible as evidence in a criminal prosecution against the admittee.

(e) Admittees under this section whom the drug detoxification center determines to be drug abusers shall be asked if they wish to receive further treatment. Those consenting to further treatment shall remain until discharged by the drug detoxification center or until they wish to leave. No one admitted under this section shall be permitted to leave the drug detoxification center until the arresting police agency is notified.

(f) Upon a satisfactory showing to the court that a person is a drug abuser as defined in subsection (a) of this section and has completed treatment under this section in a manner satisfactory to the chairperson of the drug diagnostic team at the drug detoxification center to which the person was admitted, the charge of consumption or use of the drug, under Chapter 47 of Title 16, shall be dismissed.

(g) Whenever a police officer sees a person whom the officer believes to have taken drugs and needs medical treatment, the police officer may take that person into custody and arrange to have the person taken to a drug detoxification center or arrange to secure other medical help. This subsection shall apply whether or not the officer may under the circumstances lawfully arrest the person whom the officer believes to have taken drugs. No officer acting in good faith shall be subject to criminal or civil liability for any action under this subsection.

(h) To further the implementation of this section, the Director of the Division of Drug Abuse Control may prescribe regulations for the operation of drug detoxification centers and may assist such drug detoxification centers by distributing to them such funds as the General Assembly may from time to time appropriate to the Director for expenditure on their behalf.

11 Del. C. 1953, § 4212A; 58 Del. Laws, c. 250, § 1; 58 Del. Laws, c. 497, § 3; 58 Del. Laws, c. 543; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.