DANGEROUS DRUGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 136, 10 June 1926, Page 10

DANGEROUS DRUGS.

ANALYSIS OF CHOCOLATES. | PROVED TO BE HARMLESS. CONTROL OP NARCOTICS. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. (By Telegraph. — Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this day. The allegation that chocolates containing alcohol and drugs are sold in New Zealand was referred to the Hon. J. A. Young, Minister of Health, to ascertain if the matter had been officially investigated. It was found by your correspondent that before these allegations had been given prominent publicity samples of the chocolates referred to had been purchased for analysis, and that the result was reassuring. "On April 7 last I was approached by a Wellington resident, who made somewhat startling allegations concerning chocolates given to a young woman, the chocolates allegedly containing alcohol or some potent drug," said the Minister. "I immediately directed the Department of Health to purchase a full range of samples of these sweets for analysis. This was done the same day by the director of the food and drugs division, and I have recently been advised that the Dominion Analyst reported no alcohol cantharid in alkaloids or other drugs were detected in the samples. '"I cannot for the moment believe," added Mr. Young, "that there is such a thing as a secret society among young people in New Zealand. Such an organisation, to be effective, would need to be the product of a mature brain, but the public attention drawn by these allegations regarding alcohol or drugged sweets, will do no harm. The Department's interest in the matter wae its concern for the purity of foods and drugs, and it is only too anxious to protect the public in this direction by its investigations." A hint was given by the Minister that the Government is considering legislation with a view to exercising greater control over the sale and use of narcotics and other dangerous drugs.