The Wanganui Chronicle TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1937. INTERNATIONAL DRUG CONTROL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 33, 9 February 1937, Page 6

The Wanganui Chronicle TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1937. INTERNATIONAL DRUG CONTROL

JAPAN'S ratification of the Convention for the control of rctailing drugs, is a tremendous step forward in the curtailment of this subversive traffic. Japan was recently accused in very direct terms of fostering this traffic to the detriment of her neighbours, China, the United States of America, and Canada. The Canadian spokesman on the occasion made certain that he was understood, Oriental politeness being laid aside for the time being. This direct talk has evidently been of good effect.

The Drugs Limitation Convention was signed at Bangkok in 1931, and every year the supervisory body has prepared an annual statement of legitimate requirements for each country, and circulated to the Governments its “Estimated World Requirements of Dangerous Drugs.” This statement publishes lhe limits for the legitimate drug trade during the ensuing year. It contains estimates of drug requirements for all countries and territories of the world. Estimates are accordingly given for 73 countries and 105 territories, totalling in all 178 separate administrative units.

The supervisory body examined and passed lhe estimates furnished by 61 countries and 88 colonics or dependent territories. Estimates for nine countries and seven territories for which none had been received were framed by the supervisory body. Six of the countries furnishing estimates were nonparties to the Convention. Amongst the nine countries for which estimates were made by the supervisory body, four were parties to the Limitation Convention—Spain, Equador, Haiti and Peru—the remaining five being Argentine. Bolivia, Ethiopia, Liberia and Paraguay.

Every year since the Convention has been in force the number of countries and territories which have themselves furnished estimates have increased, and consequently the number for which the supervisory body has had to frame estimates has decreased. The number of countries for which estimates were furnished was: in 1933, 45; in 1934, 54; in 1935, 59; in 1936, 61. ’ The increasing efficiency in the general administrative application of the Convention is shown in the decreasing number of cases in which the supervisory body has had to ask Governments for explanations or supplementary information in connection with their estimates. A further indication of the increasing efficiency of the Convention is given by the supervisory body in its statement that it is the, tendency of Governments to approximate to their real needs with increasing precision in making their estimates. Annual statistics available this year show, for example, that in the 17 manufacturing countries engaged in converting morphine into other drugs used 22 tons of morphine for this purpose. Their morphine conversion estimates for 1934, however, had been no less than 36 J tons an over-estimate of 65 per cent. The attention of the Governments was called to this matter and there was a reduction of GJ tons in the morphine conversion estimates for 1937 as compared with 1935.

One of the puzzling features in Connection with the legitimate consumption of dangerous drugs as observed now over a period of years, has been the considerable divergencies in consumption per head of population in relation to particular drugs in countries which are more or less equal from the point of view of their medical practice. In order, if possible, to throw some light on this problem, the supervisory body has annexed to its statement for 1937 a comparative table showing for certain countries, grouped according to continents, the consumption of drug's per million of inhabitants. It is hoped that the Governments, and public health authorities in these, countries, will study the reasons for the divergencies revealed in this tabic. It is clear that by the closing of the doors of illegitimate traffic greater profit will accrue to those engaged in the lafitiniate channels of distribution unless particular care is tiken nre)i."lr being over-supplied.