Drunkenness arrest rates for adult males in Toronto decreased substantially during the period 1966 to 1987. In 1971 there was a change in legislation permitting police to take public inebriates to detoxication centers. Drunkenness rates continued to decline at a rate similar to that for the previous 3 years. The next year drunkenness arrests increased but subsequently declined at a rate which was 50% greater than that which preceded the change in legislation. Since 1973 year by year changes in the rate of male drunkenness arrests have not been consistently related to rates of police admission to detoxication centers or to total admissions to detoxication centers. The results suggest that recent trends in drunkenness arrests have been influenced by the 1971 change in legislation and the increased use of detoxication centers. However, the influence of other factors must also be considered.