TINCTURE OF OPIUM.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10462, 23 May 1910, Page 4

TINCTURE OF OPIUM.

ITS VSE BY CHINESE

(Per Piiess Association.) Wellington, May 22

Yesterday a deputation representing ike."Anti-opium Leagife, introduced by iir R, A. Wright, M.P., interviewed blie.'lMinister of Customs (the. Hdn. G._ Fowlds)' to protest against, thb sale ot tincture of opium by chemists to Chinese who, by a simple process, made it into smoking opium. . The ."Rev. J. J. Xorth said that the position was that it was possible ior Chinese to secure in a very simple fashion the drug they, wanted. There seemed to be something wrong with the sale of narcotic drugs in chemists shops. Chinese could go easily into such a shop and procure tincture of opium. There was an instance in the case of a Chinese who purchased tincture ot' opium and converted it by asimple process into smoking opium. This was found on him, and ho was 1 fined £3O. It was well known that a great deal of tincture of opium (or laudanum) was sold in the cities, at Otaki, and on the West Coast to | Chinese.

Mr Fowlds: The chemist is perfectly justified in selling tincture of opium. The Chinese is' at fault in breaking the law by manufacturing it into smoking opium. Mr North said that their medical adviser stated that there was absolutely no reason —no sensible reason—why Chinese should buy tincture of opium, in large quantities. The opium liabit was like the whisky habit. If whisky were sold in tablet form it might defeat any law against its sale in liquid form. —(Laughter.) They would suggest that something should be done to relieve what was a very "crooked" position. Some alteration should be made in the law to enable chemists to be muzzled in/ this respect. Drugs of the kind mentioned should be procured only by medical prescription. Mr Ait-ken suggested that difficulties might be interposed to make the sale of tincture of opium far more restricted. jSome other witness should be necessary, such as a justice of the peace. .At present there was really no restric'tioii on the sale of tincture of opium. • Mr Paradise said about 20 per cent. ■of the Chinese in the Dominion were apparently using this tincture. : The- Minister said they would raise something of an international question if, they were to differentiate between the European and 'the' Chinese in this matter. He was in sympathy with any attempt to minimise the evil of Chinese smoking opium, but the difficulties were very groat. The Department had known of the practice of making a smoking opium from the extract. It was a difficult- matter to introduce legislation. He did not think that the Chinese wore hardly dealt with in being punished for producing opium for smoking. The.v wanted effective, but not harassing legislation. To make any strict regulation as suggested would mean that chemists through inadver. tence, perhaps, in this matter, would be severely harassed and punished. Probably the innocent would suffer more than the guilty. Suppose the Department was checking the amount of opium going into a chemist's .shop. Large quantities were being used in making certain cough mixtures and other medicines. Could the Department follow this procedure aiul object to that? The difficulties in the meantime seemed so great that very little could be done without harassing the life of the honest chemist, so as to make business almost impossible. As to quantities, in 11)0] before the importation was prohibited, the amount brought in was 930911). Since then a calculation had been made and the whole of the tincture, if evaporated, would culy co.v.e to about 100011) of solid o;/.:::-. Fully half that must go in legitimate use. Mr Aitken : Is I hero- any evidence that the consumption of tincture has increased since 1901 r" The Minister said lie had no figures to show that there had been an increase. Probably there had been, but that might go in the increase of normal and legitimate use. It was necessary to have an amendment of the Act for several reasons. A. recent- decision of the Supreme Court had laid the onus upon the Customs to prove that opium found had not been imported into New Zealand before the passing of the Act. lie would do whatever he could to meet the wishes of the deputation, so long as it was reasonable, without being unduly harassing.