New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-04

Another factor favoring the sellers o.
cocaine in this city came to light yester'
day, as The Tribune's exposition of the
prevalence Of the traffic in the deadenins
drug began to sink into the minds of pub
| lie spirited citizens. 1t was the division
Of responsibility for the enforcement OF
the laws against the traffic now on the
statute books of the state.
Caswell A. Mayo, editor of THE Ameri'
can Druggist" and vice-president of the
American Pharmaceutical Association,
| called attention to this divided respon-
siblity in the following words:
THE real difficulty In stamping out
the traffic, in my opinion. lies In the
| fact that there is divided responsibility
| for the enforcement OF such legislation.
| The responsibility Is divided between the
| State Department Of Agriculture. the
State Board of Health. the local Health
Department, the State Board OF Phar-
macy and the police.
ut is the duty of all these to enforce
the laws restricting the production ana
sale of cocaine If the laws are not en-
forced each OF these authorities naturally
places the blame for the laxlty on one
Of the others. l believe thoroughly In the
concentration OF responsibility, and think
| the enforcement OF all legislation regard
ing the sale Of drugs should be placed In
| the hands OF the Board Of Pharmacy. and
that the board should be given ample
means and provided with sufficient
number OF inspectors to enforce the law
| in every respect. Without such means
| the board IL helpless.
| There can be no question OF the need
Of the most severe restriction Of the sale
Of cocaine. The retail pharmacists we're
the first to realize the need Of restriction
on the sale Of habit-forming drugs.
introduced q resolution at the st. Louis
meeting Of the American Pharmaceutical
Association, In 1901. providing for the ap-
polntment Of a committee to consider the
question OF the requirement OF drug
habits and the best methods OF legislative
regulation OF the danger.
Need enforcement Of Law.
THE committee appointed under this
resolution submitted comprehensive re-
| port the following year, and its sue
| cessors drafted a model anti-narcotic
law, which has been enacted wholly or
I'm part in about forty states. 1t Ia pos
sibly true that these drugs do reach the
public more or less indirectly through thu
drug trade. but the men who would be
guilty Of traffic in such drugs for illegiti'
mate purposes have no standing In the
trade and are condemned unqualihedly
by the trade at large. We have ample
legislation TO govern the sale OF narcotic
drugs but what Is needed Is enforcement
OF the laws"
The last opinion was emphaucally re
peated by Professor George c. Diekman
chairman Of the violations committee o
the Board OF Pharmacy and director o
the Columbia College Of Pharmacy. Pro
fessor Diekman explained that since tn
amendment to the cocaine law In April
1910. the Board OF Pharmacy had beer
powerless TO control the drug traffic, ant
that the proper authorities TO do no were
either the City Board OF Health or tn
police.
The Board OF Health has an ordinance
TO exactly the same effect az the stat
law" said the professor. "and they cal
do a whole lot II they want 10 get afte
Il. Formerly the execution Of the COCAINE
law was under the Board OF Pharmacy
and when we held the power We cleaned
the violators out. But now the board ha'
nothing 10 do with the matter
We agreed TO the amendment maxim,
the possession OF the drug without
doctors prescription felony. because
seemed as II that was a more erectiv
method OF reaching the seller who trie'
to pass himself OF as a user OF the drug
Under that amendment the druggist i
required 10 fiji out a cocaine sale certlh
cate, and IL any one is caught with 60
caine on his person without one OF thes
certificates he is liable to 800 hne or on
years Imprisonment. or both.
Hints at Cocaine Graft.
There Is no doubt In my nina ina
thu police could enforce the present Law
with a great deal OF ease II they wanted
10. The trouble Is that they DOM Al
| though there Is no way OF proving H.