I was actually quite surprised to find out about the laws here in WA. I think the east coast, where I grew up is a bit less liberal about public intoxication - I'm pretty sure you can be arrested for something like "drunk and disorderly" - but not out here.

If you are wandering around completely messed up an officer can offer to take you home or somewhere safe, but if you say no they basically have to leave you alone. Unless you are breaking some other law or they think you are a danger to yourself they can't force you to do anything... if they do think you are putting yourself or other people in danger they can take you to the ER or to a drug/alcohol treatment facility, but not to jail... I now understand why I see "welfare checks" on the police scanner... if someone is lying out on the sidewalk (well usually in the grass strip) they go, wake them up, ask them if they are OK, but that's usually the extent of what happens....