Abstract
When an inebriated patient arrives in the emergency ward, should he be kept in the hospital or discharged? Beyond the apparent crisis the intoxicated patient challenges us with a complex psycho-social disorder that needs to be recognized and treated and the patient oriented towards social reinsertion. The intrication between medical and legal issues can give rise to ethical dilemmas that can be approached through a decision-making method elaborated in Lyon. In difficult cases, the duty of assistance to the patient and society overrides considerations such as consent and confidentiality. (A)