Sterner Attitude To Drugs

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31316, 11 March 1967, Page 13

Sterner Attitude To Drugs

(N.Z. Press Assn. —Copyright; LONDON, March 10. British authorities have admitted the failure of their “humane” attitude towards drug addiction in proposing legislation to curb over - prescription by doctors, says the Associated Press. The rapidly increasing number of teen-age addicts has spurred the government to restrict drug prescription to special drug centres in hospitals.

In Britain family doctors are allowed to prescribe heroin and cocaine for addicts. An independent committee

on drug-taking says the main source of illicit drugs is a few doctors who prescribe excessively for addicts. Until recently the British authorities were proud of their permissive attitude towards addicts. The authorities believed they were striking the right balance with humane treatment of addicts as sick people needing medical attention. In 1960 a government committee reported that the scale of drug addiction was so small and so well controlled that “we see no grounds for suggesting further statutory control over habit-forming

drugs.” . Now it is generally admitted that the system has failed.

It works only if doctors do not overprescribe and if addicts do not sell their surplus to people not yet addicted. Both practices have become common.

Mr Ben Parkin, a Labour member of Parliament, told the House of Commons that he knew of cases where schoolchildren were peddling pep pills—called purple hearts—in the classrooms and playgrounds of their schools. “The tragic situation is that children who become addicted to purple hearts are unable to And the money to purchase more supplies except by acting as agents themselves•” he said.

Dr. John Owens, consulting psychiatrist at a Birmingham hospital, observes: “The teen-

age culture today is not against drug taking."

There are 1000 narcotics addicts recorded officially at present. The unofficial figure is put at 2000 to 3000. This compares with 532 in 1962. The number of heroin addicts has risen from 62 officially recorded in 1958 to 670 last September. And they grow steadily younger: none under 20 in 1959,145 in 1965.

The use of marijuana has also shown a marked increase since 1960. As part of a planned campaign to prevent spread of addiction among youngsters, the police are increasing the number of raids on parties, youth clubs and cafes where the drugs are peddled.