INTERNATIONAL DRUG RINGS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18350, 14 September 1921, Page 6

INTERNATIONAL DRUG RINGS

The Drug Act Administrator for the dominion of Canada was reported in the Vancouver World of May 16 last as saying: “Drug Rings are not only local, but national and international; the ring will stop at nothing to gain its ends.” Franco is experiencing a crime attributed by the press to cocaine and opium. Drug taking in the Old Country has reached alarming proportions, and the police are said by the Daily Mail to be powerless to stamp out the traffic. In Toronto, under prohibition, tho Chief of Police reports: ‘Opium joints and other offences against the Drug Act show a marked decrease for the year 1920.’ The enforcing of stringent legislation resulted in benefits alt over Canada. The importation of cocaine fell from 12,5320 z to 69690 z; opium fell from 34,3631 b to Li,6261b. and morphine fell from 30,0870 z to 28,9980 z. •‘■The dope traffic centre is not in any of the prohibition provinces of Canada. Ninety per cent, of the habit farming drugs go to Montreal in the “wet” province of Quebec. British Columbia, under a system of Government Control of Sale, is the only other “wet” province of Canada—all the rest are now “bone-dry.” In the year 1920. Captain E. Gaston Page. F.R.G.S.. reported that at the special clinic for drug addicts opened in New York in 1919. about 1750 persons were applying daily for decreasing doles allowed to addicts. That special clinic has closed for lack of patients, and other hospitals that used to treat drug addicts report a substantial decrease in patients, — N.Z. Alliance Publicity (12).—Advt.