Tom, I agree with you wholeheartedly- but as it stands, if we find a drunk a in a dark alleyway- we must collar according to protocols (and don't you dare not answer this question correctly on your national certification test!) This 'defensive medicine' is not only practiced by the EMT's in the field (I'm one of them), but also by nurses, doctors, and medical centers as a way to prevent ANY kind of medical liability, which is the biggest cash crop for lawyers ever! So, untill the whole of Amrican society changes from sue-happy to having-a-clue, it's only going to get worse! Eug