Fresh bid to control drugs

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32707, 9 September 1971, Page 13

Fresh bid to control drugs

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, September b. The Nixon Administration has launched a new drive to control narcotics, repeating that addiction had grown to crisis proportions in the United States.

The Secretary of State (Mr William Rogers) told a press conference that he will preside over a new Cabinet committee on international narcotics control, with the aim of curtailing, and eventually eliminating, the flow of dangerous drugs into the country. This, he said, would be the beginning of the most important international effort made so far to control world narcotics traffic.

There had already been significant co-operation with Turkey—the principal source of narcotics entering

America—and with Thailand, Laos and France. He emphasised that France had been very co-operative, and said that he was particularly pleased with progress in Turkey, where he cited Government moves there to eliminate smuggling, and to reduce field production of opium as a cash crop. Mr Rogers added that the Lower House of Parliament in Laos had approved nar-cotics-control legislation, and that discussions were now under way with the Burmese Government.