THE DRUG MENACE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 150, 29 June 1925, Page 4

THE DRUG MENACE

PREVALENCE IN CHRIST-

CHURCH.

That drug..-addicts ; are by no, means 1 an unknown quantity in ChTistchurch, and that no difficulty. is experienced in .purchasing either the drug itself, or the requisites for taking the injections, were* statements made b-y Mrs. H. F. Herbert at the' annual meeting of the Social Welfare Guild at Christchurch on Friday. '. ; ■ „,■■. -, v , .. "I have noticed with alarm," said Mrs. Herbert, "the increase of drug, addicts in the" Dominion. It is really terrible to think just how this habit 'is getting a hold amongst some people. Recently I came across a case in which a woman was getting two pounds' worth of morphia/every week. She was buying it from, a chemist in Christchurch, and had no difficulty whatever in getting it. ."That poor .woman came to me and entreated me to help her in her fight against the drug. She knew the harm it was doing her, and was trying to tear herself away from it But she had been taking it for some time, and: the task, that confronted her was a difficult one. She was taking ten grains of morphia a day. A doctors.dose is one-sixth of a grain, so you can readily realise just how bad that woman was.'...,■ --,: ';. i .

"Now the trouble, is to know just what is the correct to do with these drug addicts. The hospitals don't like to have anything; to do with* them, although .they have had quite a number of them lately. They .[■■ have no power to compel them to remain , in these institutions, and as soon as the poor unfortunates feel the craving for the drug getting hold of V them again they leave.".

In the case sho had quoted, reports the "Lyttelton Times," , the -woman, apart from her addiction to the drug, was a perfectly decent citizen. She had tried hard to get rid of the habit, and had taken no morphia since .February. "I could givo many more instances," continued Mrs. Herbert. "There was a man who was so badly addicted to drug taking that he did nothing but wander about the country calling on doctors'in various towns ami asking for the drug. He was only twenty-two, but he wSs in a very bad way. Another case that has come under my notice«was that of a man, an inmate of ;i home. He used to pay visits to the city, and. one day a syringe and everything necessary for "the taking of the drug -were found in his possession. He had apparently had no difficulty in getting supplies whenever ho wanted lliom. I think something should be done to tiglif.cn' up the regulations so that' people' o.i'n't' get. drugs""ns tlmy can at. the present tune.'. Drug addiction iti Ohristdiuku ia certainly on this incruaso. 1' .• ,' '