The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-09-04
THE DRUG PERIL
THE USE OF COCAINE is WIDE
SPREAD AS WE'LL AS
Opium, Morphine and Other Dam
Eerous Drugs, aud . Crusade is
Being Waged Aginst Them.

gerous Drugs, and Crusade Is
Being Waged Aginst Them.
The widespread use of cocaine,
oplum, morphine and other drugs
OF that character. IS becoming alarm
Ing, and active steps will soon be
anaugurated by the United States
Government to stop their sale ex-
eept for legitimate purposes. There
Is no doubt but that cocaine. or
happy dust, as many Of the negroes
1gho use it call the drug, is being
used by thousands Of negroes and
many whites in this State and other
Southern States. If its use is not
stopped there lis no telling what
harm it will do this section from
several standpoints.
The Philadelphia Record in con-
sidering the drug perir' from
national view poine has the follow
Ing to say: ,-,,
The tremendous increase in the
use of cocaine that followed the
passage of the restrictive laws against
opium maybe gathered when it is
known that ,iB 1s04--before the
United States took up the cudgels
against the Oriental -habit-the i'm
portation of cocaine was only So
900 ounces, and Of coca leaves, from
which cocaine Is made, was $4,000
punces. In 1905 100000 ounces
of the leaves were imported, but
the Importation Of cocaine had fal-
len or to- about half. what it was
the year before because, rather than
pay aaduty of rs per cent ad valorem
the chemists had started up the
manufacture OF the drug in. this,
country on aslarge scale. In 1906.
the Importation Of coca leaves swas,
100000 ounces.
By this time, however, many Of
the States aWoke..to': fact that
cocaine was pretty dangerous drug
to have sold about the cities and.
towns without any aS5 safeguards OF ST
stint, and many of them passed re-
Strictive laws TheY passage of these
statutes 'tesulteds Ia the: s6riIkags
OF the Importation Of coca deayes in
1902, to sll515.Ooo ounces. .fsahd IN
19os, to $4,000 ouhceS: N 1909
the importation Of cocaine from,
abroad was only 3,7s2'ounces, ivalu-
ed at s1,1OS. The use of cocaine
in medicine and surgery is, Of course,
to produce local anasthesis ior 1hsen-
sibility. When taken internally its
effect is to produce. criminals,, q
No drug on the market seems to
have anywhere near such demoralz-
Ing effect upon the human system,
The ihabitual user soon loses all
moral courage. Lying and stealing
are the least Of the crimes he is
ready to commit when under the in-
duence, and, in majority OF cases,
his nature becomes brutalized and
ehanged ifPog the worse. ] & .. ii. I'D
one knows just where or when
the cocaine habit" first started in
this country. It Is, generally laid at
the door Of proprietary powder
that was put on the market and ad-
vertised as a "sure cure for cold in
the head" This powder contained
cocaine and belladonna and seemed
to produce the effect advertised
Pretty soon the authorities in vari-
GUS States found that certain pow
ders ons the market, which looked
like the "cold-in-the-head cure" con-
tanned nothing to speak of except
cocaine. The belladonna had been
dropped out 1t was found, and is
still the fact, that these powders
were sold to- thousands of persons
in the great cities and in the thickly
populated districts Of the South.
Nearly all the Southern States
have taken drastic measures to pre-
vent the sale of cocaine. but until
the Federal government takes hand
by prohibiting the movement of the
drug in interstate, commerce, q great
deal will, be smuggledu across the |
State lines and used. The same may
be said Of all the other drugs that
the communities would exclude. No |
matter how stringent local laws may |
be, If the:drugs&are allowed on sale
without restriction In, any Of the
States, they are bound to and their |
way into the forbidden territory.
1t is proposed to have Congress
pass a law that will force the man
ufactureres and dealers in all habit |
inspiring drugs to take out Feder-
al license, and to make regular peri
odical returns to the internal reve- |
nue. bureau. BY this means every
ounce Of cocaine, chloral, etc., may |
be traced from the time it is manu-
factured until it reaches the con-
sumer, and If the consumer lives |
in "closed territory" it is believed |
possible to cure him of the habit |
by taking from him the means of |
continuing it. The State Depart
ment, through it's opium commits
sioner, DR.. Hamilton Wright, took
the Initiative In the matter of SIM