SWEEPING STATEMENT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 150, 28 June 1930, Page 10

SWEEPING STATEMENT

. POLICE ALLEGATION IMMEDIATE PKOTEST (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) i . ~GISBOBNE, 27th June. The statement that practically every nurso in New Zealand carries supplies of a certain dangerous drug, although all were not addicted to.it, was repealsed by a senior sergeant during the hearing of a ease in which a nurse pleaded guilty to charges of possessing the drug before. Mr. P. H. Harper, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court today, when a middle-aged uurso in a private hospital, whose name wag ordered to be- suppressed, pleaded guilty to two charges of breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act. She was convicted and discharged on charges of having in her possession on Ist June three tablets of a, dangerous drug, and of having on 7th June twelve tablets of the same drug.

Senior-Sergeant Wade said the sister in charge of tho hospital was sick, and the defendant, who had given notice, was asked to remain on ,fpr a week. She felt that she was slipping physically and' coHldn't keep up with the- work, so she resorted to the drug. She stayed her allotted time, but later became ill with neuralgia, and • was taken to the Cook Public Hospital. Among her belongings were three tablets of the drug, and whilo in the institution another twelve tablets arrived for •hor. NO DEPOT HERE. The police made inquiries, continued the senior sergeant, in'the belief that there was possibly a depot in New Zealand supplying jscople with drugs, but he could say "now that that was not the case. Tho defendant's sister was suffering from a disease, and was being supplied with that particular drug under a doctor's prescription, and had been sending some of the drug to the defendant. Tho defendant was helping to support her sister and her sister's children, and knew that considerable hardship would be caused if sho lost her employment. It was to keep herself on her foet that she took the drug, and she had now assured him (tho senior sergeant) that she had overcome the craving for it. "I. am told." continued tho peuior sergeant, "that practically every nurse in New Zealand carries supplies of this drug, although it is an oft'enco to do so and no exemptions are made. Of course, they are not,all addicted to it, but if the effects of the majority of nurses, particularly those attending outside cases, were searched, I have no doubt bigger supplies.of the drug would bo' found than thoso the defendant had in her possession. Tho drug can only bo supplied under a doctor's prescription. The Legislature evidently reI gards this as a serious offence, for tho i maximum penalty is £100." PERNICIOUS AND INJURIOUS. To the Magistrate, defendant explained that &ho had been suffering from a very serious illness, which ended in complications, and sho would have been unable to carry on her work if she had not taken the drug. "This is regarded as a very serious offence," said tho Magistrate, "and the habit is a pernicious and injurious one. You must havo known that the relief afforded, if ro'lief it is, is only temporary, and that the more you take of it the less chance you have of breaking yourself of the habit. At the same time, I am sure this will be suffi- . cient warning to you, and that you ! won't indulge in the habit again. ! There is some excuse for you in that you took it to give yourself tho required energy. I don't think this is a case where a penalty is necessary or desirable, and' you will lie convicted and discharged."