Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1913-07-03
The Prevalence of the MOrphin and
COcain Habits.

Examination of the laws which
control the sale of opium and
cocain in the several states show
that there is a most extraordi-
nary lack of uniformity. In
many states antinarcotic laws
are so comprehensive that were
all attempt made to enforce the
law literally it would result in
the fine or imprisonment of prac-
| tically all the retail druggists.
On the other hand, there are
some states in which the excep-
tions and provisos to the law
are so numerous as practically to
nullify all efforts to control a
traffic in narcotic drugs.
Although in most of the states
there is some legislation which
aims to abolish the evil, it is all
of comparatively recent date,
and has not kept pace with the
increase in drug addiction. Lack
of federal control resulting in
various conflicting state laws, or
more properly speaking in giving
rise to such a diversity of laws
that stringency In one state can
be overcome by ordering by mail
from another state where the
laws are less stringent, is I'M
doubtedly>the chief reason why
our country compares so unfavor-
ably with European countries in
respect to the prevalence of
morphin addiction.
Since 1861. when the various
forms of opium were separately
enumerated in the tariff schedule
there was an increase of 251 per
cent. in the importation and con-
sumption of all forms of opium,
as against an increase of 1873 per
cent. in the population. In the
United States during the last ten
years there has been an annual
importation and consumption Of
opium of over 100000 pounds.
Austria Hungary, with popula-
ton of little less than half that
of ours, consumes annually less
than one hnndredth this amount
of opium. Germany with sixty
million inhabitants consumes
only about II 900 pounds annual
ly, while in Italy with thirty
three million there is an animal
consumption Of only about 5000
pounds. That appalling dis
crepancy consists In the fact that
the most reliable authorities are
agreed that one-eighth t h g
amount of opium imported into
the United States would amply
suffice for the legitimate medical
needs of our people. This coun-
try manufactures into morphin
fully 100000 pounds of the an
nual Importation, and it is esti-
mated that so per cent of the
morphin thus made is used by
victims of the habit.
When we consider cocain, the
situation is no less alarming.
Roller first introduced this drug
to the medical profession in 1884.
Thirteen years later was enacted
the first Liquidation in the United
States which strove to prevent
the indiscriminate sale of the
drug. In 1897 Illinois passed a
law which made it unlawful to
give or sell any cocain or prepara-
tion containing cocain in any
form except on prescription of a
physician or dentist. The i'm
! practicabillty of all the legisla-
tion since that time is evidenced
by the fact that although cocain
is drug which is utterly useless
except in the hands of a physi-
clan or dentist, and should never
be prescribed for continuous use
under any circumstances even by
them, there has nevertheless
been such steady increase in it's
use that it is now reliably esti-
mated that it's illegitimate use
alone exceeds 100000 ounces
every year.