MERE FAIRY TALES

Evening Star, Issue 19614, 21 July 1927, Page 3

MERE FAIRY TALES

ALARMISTS ON DRUG-TAKING CHEMISTS OPPOSE HEW BILL “Soon wc will ho soiling onlv liofc water bottles and Beecham’s pills! ” The facetious' phrase was used by 0110 chemist in Dunedin in summing up the moves being madefrom various parts to limit the activities of the. pharmaceutists. . The Dangerous Drugs Bill, introduced into Parliament on Friday by the. Minister of Health, is interpreted bv chemists as being a Bill which t f ivGs power to prevent tlicir lip medicines for minor ailments. They view the proposed Act seriously. If it is intended to suppress drnglakitm, the chemists interviewed by the ‘ Star ’ hold that it is not needed as the present regulations are sufficiently stringent, and that the alarmists’ reports of drugging are mere “fairy tales.”

"So far as I know, there is in New Zealand very little or no drug-taking in tlio sense applied to this term,” stated one chemist, “ and 1 am convinced that flic alarmists’ reports wo have had from time to time about secret drug raking societies are imaginary.” While ho had not had time to properly consider tho new Bill, the chemist said it seemed to him that it was a Bill which did nothing _ much more than put absolute power in the Minister of Health’s hands to do pretty much as he liked. “He seems to have the right not only to say what drugs are ‘ dangerous drugs,’ hut also the right to make the regulations for the manufacturing, distribution, etc., of these drugs, which, to my mind, is ivrong,” he stated. “1 think that drugs and the regulations controlling them should be declared by Act of Parliament; or, better still, a hoard composed of one nominee from each of tho following should bo appointed:—New Zealand Medical Association, New Zealand Pharmacy Board, New Zealand Dental Association, tho Health Department, and the ■importers,” tho chemist stated. “The hoard would control this matter, and make regulations under the Act.” Although tho Bill, so far as it goes, seemed to imply, and rightly so, tho right of doctors, dentists, and veterinary surgeons to use and prescribe any “dangerous drug” no light seemed to be implied for tho registered chemists to use any of these drugs for the treatment of simple ailments, such as an ordinary cough or cold.

“ Surely a chemist who lias had this right from time immemorial, and who lias not abused, and who certainly knows more about tho use and abuses of drugs than a dentist or veterinary surgeon, can be trusted to uso that knowledge with as much discretion as those gentlemen,” exclaimed the chemist. “The public interest demands that tliis right should continue to bo allowed to qualified chemists for legitimate purposes, of course under proper regulation tho same as the other qualified users of drugs.” ■ It seemed wrong, also, that a justice of tho peace should bo given the power to issue search warrants under this Hill. In the chemist’s opinion, the right should be confined to magistrates. Equally wrong, he considered, was that a health officer, who might ho quite unqualified, .Customs officer, or police constable should have tho right of arrest without warrant when ho had “ reasonable cause to believe or suspect ” someone of contravention of the proposed Act. “It would take a .Philadelphian lawyer to understand what tho Minister means in his Bill,” said another chemist. He agreed with tho first chemist’s reading of the Bill. “ Soon wo will he selling only hot water bags and Beecham’s pills!” That was the chemist’s facetious comment on the moves made by various sides against tho activities of chemists. .Recently the Optical Association had brought down a new regulation in which it was proposed that chemists should not bo allowed to dispense eye-drops. Ho did not think the Dangerous Drugs Bill would meet with tho approval of ono chemist.

The advisory officers of tlie Minister of Health were doctors, ami therefore members of that most powerful and conservative body, the British Medical Association. Under the Act it seemed that these olliccrs could recommend that a drug being used by chemists in their preparations was dangerous. He did not challenge the scruples of the medical profession, but the doctors would do their best to get all people to consult them.

“ Say you had a, cold. I know ns Hindi about therapeutics as any doctor; f have passed three examinations ami they arc as stiff as the doctors’ examinations. I could prescribe for the cold. _ Many people prefer going to a chemist for minor ailments. If they go to a doctor he charges 10s 6d, and the chemists’ _ mixture costs about 3s fid, whereas, if the people go to the. chemist, they got tho lot for As Gd.” The chemist added that tho public interests should bo protected. The chemist pointed out that if the, regulations were as he had interpreted them, and Hie interpreting was a hard task, chemists would be debarred from manufacturing cough medicines. All the patent medicines contained opiates, and they would be useless without the drugs.

This chemist puo-pooed the reports of drug-taking. He had been in his present place of business for about ten years, and during that lime only two men had asked him to supply morphia, ‘'They wore off a San Francisco boat,” ho said. “They offered me £ld for five grains, worth about Is, and I told them to go somewhere.” No; a, chemist would not take tho risk of losing his business and his life work by dealing illicitly in drugs.” Drugs aro being smuggled into the country, tho chemist declared, but a drug addict would be noticed quickly in Dunedin. Ho held that the existing regulations were so stringent that it was impossible for a chemist to deal illicitly, as tho Government Customs and importers kept an accurate account of the quantity of drugs purchased. The books kept by chemists of the sale of drugs were open for inspection to jeople in authority, and a, careful cheek was kept on all the drugs issued in New Zealand. *

“Positively absurd!” exclaimed another- chemist when ho Mas asked if drug-taking was in any way prevalent. He said he had been in business for many years, and no person had asked him to supply them. At various times chemists stated that addicts had asked for drugs and had been refused, but he placed no credence on those reports. Jf ah addict were refused at one shop, lie w'ould visit every shop iu an endeavor to obtain the drug. Some years ago a. scare had been raised about tho drinking of methylated spirit, and a chemist opposite his place of business had told him that a man had made an effort to purchase the spirits. That man must have been imaginary, for he had not tried to buy at his shop, only across the street.

Ho characterised reports of drugtaking, in Dunedin at least, as “fairy tales.” However, there might be drugging in a cosmopolitan city like Auckland, where people in the habit of taking the drugs in America, Sydney, and England congregated.