---
title: O.C.G.A. § 37-7-8. ‘‘Drug’’ defined; Right of minor to obtain treatment of drug abuse on his consent alone; binding effect of consent; informing minor’s parent, spouse, custodian, or guardian of treatment.
collection: code
id: 37-7-8
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 37-7-8 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-7-8
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-7-8.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-7-8/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t37-t39-(v28)-2021-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=c6b9c518_0#page=283
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: MENTAL HEALTH / HOSPITALIZATION AND TREATMENT OF ALCOHOLICS, DRUG DEPENDENT INDIVIDUALS, AND DRUG ABUSERS / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 37-7-8. ‘‘Drug’’ defined; Right of minor to obtain treatment of drug abuse on his consent alone; binding effect of consent; informing minor’s parent, spouse, custodian, or guardian of treatment.

(a) As used in this Code section, the term ‘‘drug’’ means any drug as defined in Code Section 26-3-2, any dangerous drug as defined in Code Section 16-13-71, any controlled substance as defined in Code Section 16-13-21, and any narcotic drug as defined in Code Section 16-13-21.

(b) The consent to the provision of medical or surgical care or services by a hospital or public clinic or to the performance of medical or surgical care or services by a physician licensed to practice medicine and surgery, when such consent is given by a minor who is or professes to be suffering from drug abuse, shall be as valid and binding as if the minor had achieved his majority, provided that any such treatment shall involve procedures and therapy related to conditions or illnesses arising out of the drug abuse which gave rise to the consent authorized under this Code section. Any such consent shall not be subject to later disaffirmance by reason of minority. The consent of no other person or persons, including but not limited to a spouse, parent, custodian, or guardian, shall be necessary in order to authorize the provision to such minor of such medical or surgical care or services as are described in this subsection.

(c) Upon the advice and direction of a treating physician or, if more than one, of any one of them, a member of the medical staff of a hospital or public clinic or a physician licensed to practice medicine and surgery may, but shall not be obligated to, inform the spouse, parent, custodian, or guardian of any such minor as to the treatment given or needed. Such information may be given to or withheld from the spouse, parent, custodian, or guardian without the consent of the minor patient and even over the express refusal of the minor patient to the providing of such information.

## History

Ga. L. 1971, p. 337, §§ 1-3.

## Cross References

Giving of consent for surgical or medical treatment generally, T. 31, C. 9. Right of minor to obtain medical, surgical, or other treatment for venereal disease on minor’s consent alone, § 31-17-7.