The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-02-06
DRUG HABIT
is SPREADING
Legislation Has Not
Stamped Out Use
OF Cocaine
Youth Held by Police for Ped
ding II May Disclose
System"

Pale and emacIated from the con-
slant use Of drugs Irving e Fields
appeared in the city court this morn
ing for INVESTIGATION by the authori-
das as 10 his connection with the
dEstrTb1thOn OF heroin 30 users of that
narcotic in the red-ligalt district.
Fields. who is the first man to be
arrested in Bridgeport since the pass
ing or the recent ordinances making it
dispense the drug was arrested yes
terday afternoon in Water street by
Parroaman James Bray, to whom in
formation had come that the prie-
oner was the man who was passing it
around
In a confession to Captain George
Arno1d and the assistant prosecuting
attorney. william e Redden, he Is
said to have admitted peddling the
drug. and It is believed made some
startling revelations which may lead
70 the arrest of men higher up who
have supplied the drug in large guam
titles. Upon the personal recogniz-
anoe OF his father, who appeared in
MS behalf. Fields was permitted to
return home today with the under
standing that he would appear in
While refusing to state what action
was contemplated In the Fields case,
John A Ieverty, representing the
state RharmacsuffoaI Association, in
the prosecution of heroin and cocain
cases today revealed facts of extreme
interest TO those who seek the welfare
OF their sons and daughters in Bridge
ne asserted that not only had the
local ordinance not stopped the use of
herodn or rocains but that its price had
not apparently been raised since its
inception Fields, he said had adj
Enlttsd selling as many as $50 TO 500
day established price was three
pile for five cents Some customers
would uss as many an 100 tablets per
day The rzvages created by such
zVhoIsza1s szss may ne, ,sFeen from the
fact thai the ordinary nose prescribed
by physicians in extreme cases Is but
that some OF the CUSTOMERS must have
purchased for others
In the section OF the city where
many of the habitues Of the drug con-
rumor that in addition to the large
quantity which has been secured
tons. q system has Controlled the
supply here An effort to uncover
such methods will undoubtedly be
made by the authorities
Mr. Iseverty today said that many
reputable druggists have been ap-
preached with a view towards secur-
tor who refused the offer even being
told that IL he would supply each Gus
toner with not less than 100 pills at
be Eg1aranteed at the start
A recent decision in the New Ha-
ven courts that the forgery of ply
cannot legally be prosecuted as a
forgery under the present statutes
has temporarily upset the plans laid
by the police towards STAN ping out
the increasing practice A new law is
being framed in the legislature to COW
er these features Of the drug sale.
CIeverly written prescriptions hand
ed to local drug-stores, with forged
names OF Veterinarians duped many
pharmacists throughout the state un-
now very hard to get any of the drug
upon prescriptions before the phySi-
clan has been called by telephone to
That every parent of a boy or girl
even those minor children attending
schools included, eho9ld be on the
alert to, keep his children from the
company of those already addicted to
the habit was strongly recommended
today by Mr.. Leverty who said, that
have recently found young boys and
girls inhaling the powder from lead
pencils from which the 1ead-bore had
been ahstracted and filled with the
narcotic What is the practice there
Mr. Leverty said significantly, is
probably not confined to that State
Bridgeport
The alarming extent to which the
druE-hoid has been secured upon citi-
zens OF the United States can be COM
puted from statistics recently furnish
ed by the government, which show
that besides legitimate prescriptions
furnished by doctors 10000 ounces
each Of both heroin and cocaine are
iliicitly sold during the course of each
year-a grand total of S64, 600 900 doses
based upon the average of 1-6 grain
pill
The authorities here have found
that the habit is not confined to men
and women Of the lower orders, but
is frequent in higher circles, where il
has been introduced by friends as a
cure for headaches and other minor
ailments