Eastern Utah advocate. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1895-1915, 1914-07-30

Gus and demOralizing to society
than spIrituous or malt liquors.
Below u reproduced a sample let
ter from a prominent doctor. y. II.
y Williams OF Montciair, N. j.;
zone Of the greatest problems
contrasting physicians and legisla-
tors today y the control OF narcot-
- Fer. feer makaing due allow
ance for the exaggerated reports Of
aiarmsts. Ne find that the inoreas-
ed consumption OF alcohol. Of opium
products. and eocain has assumed
menacing proportions In certain
communities. And u h significant
that tho eommunitbss an which the
drug epidemic apeas to be most
prevalent are the ones In which the
sale OF alcohol u prohibited.
"one would b led to suppose
from newspaper reports that tho
denseiy populated rsEions are tho
pes,ilence centers of drug addic-
tons.
But government and state reports
show that even such a thickiy In
habited state az New York. includ-
ing the city. and her sister states.
Massachusetts and New Jerey. are
like paragona of absiemiousness
when compared with some OF the
rural states.
Thus. according to the last Of
fetal reports OF New York, there
was one insane drug-taker to every
3s5 cases Of Other forms Of insanity
In the insane hospitals. Meanwhile
corresponding report from okis
homa shows that In hcr institutions
tho proportion OF drug-takers 60 al
other cases OF insanity II one "a
nlnc--a proportion more than forty
TO ono greater than New York
1T has long been held by the I'D
vocates OF tolerant liquor iegisla
tlon that an attempt 60 suppress
liquor traffic always results In ths
increase In the abuse Of othe
forms OF narcotics The record a
Oklahoma. which Is prohibition
state. secms 20 confirm this opin
Ion. Let us see what the record
Of tho other prohibition state
! show.
In Maine the proportion OF drul
takers IA TO 70; In Georgia. l Z,
az; In Kansas. to SO: IN IN
North Carolina state hospital. ! q
81; IA tho Eastern State Hospital
Tennessee. to "a: In ono OF IN
> Mississippi state hospitals. 10 2s
. In Oklahoma. TO .. In othe
+, words. these thinly populated prohl
hilton states have from four 20 for
~ times as many insane drug-takeT
: ~ unrcgenerate New York.
r IA will be observed that. wit
4 the exception Of Maine and Kansas
these states are the ones havin
large negro populations. And on
naturally assumes that the eolore
man must be IN some way respon
D alble for their bad showing. Bu
r the records exonerate him OF thi
ohargc-at least as regards IN
drug takers confined In asylum
For most Of these Victims. even q
Z the South. are white.
+ when We turn 60 the records @
: penal institutions. however. We fin
a very different story. The eocaiH
taking negro. II appears, seldoI
, reaches the insane hospital. hi
career ends. temporarily or permar
entity. in the Jail. penitentiary. q
!. death house And the records q
these institutions. as ! know frof
a personal observation. confirm IN
reports that the coeain habit ha
:, assumed tho proportions 81 an epi
demic among the colored people,
ITO summarize briefly. then. "
find that drug addietions and ~
!. sanity. including the special form
/, OF mental diseases directly attribui
able TO alcoholism. seem 10 flouris
. best In prohibition territory. with
! out a compensating decrease IN On
: number OF any other maladies. Fro
: medical and hygieaic standpoint
/. therefore. prohibitiye legislation ca
! not be regarded as being more ben
(, efieial than some of che moro toleI
ant forms.