The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-06-02
THE DRUG HABIT.
There Is Great Lack of Uniformity in
State Laws.

Examination OF the laws which control
the sale of opium and cocaine in the
several states show that there is a most
extraordinary lack of uniformity. In
many states antinarcotic laws are 50
comprehensive that were an attempt
made TO enforce the law literally it
would result in the fine or Imprisonment
of practically all the retail druggists.
On the other hand, there are some states
| in which the exceptions and provisos
to the law are so numerous as practi-
cally to nullify all efforts to control the
traffic in narcotic drugs.
Although in most OF the states there
| is some legislation which aims to abol-
ish the evil, 1t is all of comparatively
recent date, and has not kept pace with
the increase in drug addiction. Lack OF
federal control resulting in various con-
ficting state laws, or more properly
speaking in giving rise to such diver
sity OF laws that stringency in one state
can be overcome by ordering by mail
from another state where the laws are
less stringent. is undoubtedly the chief
reason why our country compares so un.
favorably with European countries in
respect to the prevalence Of morphine
addiction.
Since 1860. when the various forms
of opium were separately enumerated
in the tariff schedule, there has been
an increase OF 35l per cent. in the i'm
portation and consumption of all forms
of opium, as against an increase of 1888
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 AGO.
600 pounds. Austria Hungary, with a
population of little less than half that
of ours, consumes annually less than
one -hundredth this amount of opium.
Germany with sixty million inhabitants
consumes only about 1900 pounds an
nually, while in Italy with thirty-three
millions there is an annual consump
ton of only about 6.000 pounds. The
appalling discrepancy consists in the |
fact that the most reliable authorities |
are agreed that one-eighth the amount /
of opium imported into the United |
States you'd amply suffice for the le
Ultimate medical needs of our people |
This country manufactures into NOR
phine fully 100000 pounds Of the an.
nial importation, and it is estimated /
that so per cent. of the morphine thus I
made is used by victims of the habit.
When we consider cocain. the situa.
ton is no less alarming. Roller first in
PRODUCED this drug to the medical pro-
fession in 1884. Thirteen years later
was enacted the first legislation in the
United States which strove to prevent
the ind iscriminate sale OF the drug. In
1897 Illinois parsed law which made
/ unlawful to give or sell any cocain
IT preparation containing eocain in any
'orm, except on prescription of ply
,ician or dentist The impracticability II
# all the legislation since that time is
by the fact that although co.
ain is drug which is utterly useless
kept in the hands of the physician or
enlist and should never be prescribed II
or continuous use under any circum
tances even by them, there has never
heless been such a steady increase in
is use that il is now reliably estimated
hat its illegtimate use alone exceeds
10000 ounces every year. HI
A consideration of the evils attend III
Mt on the use of morphine and cocaine
lone, SAYS the Journal of the Amer
an Medical Association, should tend to
onvince the most ardent advocate of
tates' rights that legislation regulat
ng the sale OF all dangerous habit form
~ narcotics should be national in scope
nd absolutely uniform throughout the
ountry. In matters which affect the
ealth of the nation at large the laws
hould be made by Congress. and their
xecution should be in the hands Of fed
raj rather than state authorities.