THE TRAFFIC IN DRUGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18381, 23 April 1923, Page 10

THE TRAFFIC IN DRUGS.

GROWING AMERICAN EVIL.

DOCTORS DISCUSS PROBLEM.

Physicians attending a health conferfice held in America recently stated that in the last three or four years there has been an alarming, increase in the use and traffic of narcotic drugs. ; The conference was called to find means of checking the drug; evil and to provide greater medical service for rural districts. More than 200 doctors were present. Dr. Carleton E. Simon, Special Deputy Police Commissioner of New York, said it was up to the State and not to the doctors to curb drug addiction, as it was a criminal rather than a medical problem. 1 He insisted that no State law should be enacted that is contrary to the Harrison Federal Drug Act, and said, that 98 per doctors to curb drug addiction, as it was in New York City last year were criminals. He urged that peddling drugs be made a felony, ; punishable .by not less than five years in prison. .; '•.:, "There ought to be some way to segregate the drug addicts." Dr. Simon said, "especially the ; criminal : addicts. Eighty per; cent, of the 325 addicts who applied for. treatment at the Metropolitan Hospital j]ast. year had criminal records." Sing Sing Prison is receiving ten times as many addicts as in any year since 1919, Dr. Amos O. Squire, . State j physician at that institution, said. He blamed the condition largely on drug ; peddlers and would make the penalty for peddling not less ; than i ten years. yHe asserted that 90 per cont. -of the drug addicts in the State get their supply, from peddlers and not from physicians, and that! the most effective way to ■■] wipe out the evils is to wipe out the peddler. ; J ; Dr. Walter Timmen, of the Neurological Institute, would the problem by allowing the sale of narcotic drugs the same as other drugs at pharmacies and at reasonable prices. "The men selling the drugs are making tremendous profits," he said. "The present price of cocaine sulphate is 18 dollars an ounce, which makes it almost worth its weight in gold. Many crimes are committed by addicts so they can obtain funds to purchase the sedative. While it may seem , foolish as first thought, I am convinced tbe remedy I have suggested would be effective. In America it seems that when anything is cheap no : one wants it, but when the price makes it almost prohibitive everyone wants it." Dr. Haven Em*rson, former Health Commissioner of New York, told the Governor that a State drug law, , which conformed with the Harrison Act, could be enforced by State and local police without creating a new department or bureau. He urged that the exemptions for medical purposes, allowed in the Harrison Act, should be retained in any State Act. "Drug addiction is not a disease, although it may require treatment," said Dr. Harlow Brooks, of New York. "The restriction of the prescribing of drugs by doctors will accomplish nothing, except to increase the suffering of the addict." The failure to get adequate medical service in rural communities was discussed by Dr.' Hermann M. Biggs, State Health Commissioner. Establishment of cottage hospitals in rural districts, he believed, would help relieve the situation.