§ 24–702. Definitions.

For the purpose of §§ 24-701 to 24-711:

(1) The term “drug user” means any person, including a person under 18 years of age, notwithstanding the provisions of Chapter 23 of Title 16, who uses any habit-forming narcotic drugs so as to endanger the public morals, health, safety, or welfare, or who is so far addicted to the use of such habit-forming narcotic drugs as to have lost the power of self-control with reference to his addiction.

(2) The term “narcotic drugs” shall have the same meaning as that given to such term by § 4731 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.

(3) The term “patient” means any person ordered to appear before the Mayor, pursuant to the provisions of § 24-703.

(4) The term “Mayor” means the Mayor of the District of Columbia, sitting as a Board, or his designated agent or agents.

(June 24, 1953, 67 Stat. 77, ch. 149, § 3; July 24, 1956, 70 Stat. 609, ch. 676, title I, § 101; July 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 590, Pub. L. 91-358, title I,§ 170.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 24-602.

1973 Ed., § 24-602.

References in Text

Section 4731 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, referred to in subdivision (2) of this section, was repealed by 84 Stat. 1292, Pub. L. 91-513,§ 1101(b)(3)(A).

Change in Government

This section originated at a time when local government powers were delegated to a Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia (see Acts Relating to the Establishment of the District of Columbia and its Various Forms of Governmental Organization in Volume 1). Section 401 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (see Reorganization Plans in Volume 1) transferred all of the functions of the Board of Commissioners under this section to a single Commissioner. The District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 818, § 711 ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.11), abolished the District of Columbia Council and the Office of Commissioner of the District of Columbia. These branches of government were replaced by the Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, respectively. Accordingly, and also pursuant to § 714(a) of such Act ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.14(a)), appropriate changes in terminology were made in this section.