The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-12-31

ICI LUG 4Ale Oh uHUll-lOImlu& UEuBp
have been made in this country
within the last year A federal law
was. passed by Congress last Janu-
iuary and in the most OF the states
some Legislative consideration has
been given to the subject. In a num-
ber Of cities noteworthy results have
t5een brought about by q vtgorous
campaign. Throughout the entire
nation steady increase OF interest
in this direction is effectually lessen
Ing the sale OF all habit-forming
drugs.
Il Attention has been drawn to the
fact that the Importation of opium
and similar habit forming drugs Into
the United States multiplied 300
itimes within the last half century.
During the last ten years the impor;
ltation OF these drugs into this coun-
TRY has averaged about half mil-
lion pounds annually, although 50.-
/, 900 pounds are known to be ample to
meet the legitimate demand for medi-
cinal purposes. Germany, with q
population of sixty million, consumes
about IL 900. pounds Of opium each
year. Italy uses a little more than
5000 pounds for her thirty-three
million people. while Austria Hun
gary with population of forty-six
million, useses between 5000 and
1000 pounds.
The number Of average doses Of
nabit-forming drugs imported into
the United States In 1909 approx
mated 1000 900. 900. Chiefly by
the influence of these cr,isades
against them, the amount was re-
Iduced to 100000 in 1912,
while in 1918 1t fell a little below g.
900, 900 doses. With the en-
forcement of the new legislative en-
actment a still greater reduction
should be evidenced when the reports
of 1914 are made up.
Fully seventy-fye per cent of the
opium brought into the United
States is manufactured into NOR
phine. According to reliable esti-
mates, fully eighty per cent Of this
is used by victims of the drug habit
to their own personal injury and to
The great detriment Of society and
the nation. A large proportion Of
the drug victims acquire the taste In
nocently or unconsciously from some
medicine, and the ease with which
the drug can be procured is RESPONSE
BILE for their forming the habit. I'm
til the recent legal enactments, most
Of which have come about within
the last five years, 1t was as easy for,
a woman to buy morphine pellets as
talcum powder, and even school
boy could buy. a hypodermic syringe
as easily as a pocket knife. The Wig
orous crusades which are now under
way, in most Of the large cities have
regarding this matter, although
much yet remains to be accomplished.
The long hoped for drug restric-I
ton bill in New York passed the leg
islature and became effective last
July. 1t prohibits the sale of chlor-l
al, poium and their salts and deriva-
tives, except upon the original pre-
scription. of licensed physician.
dentist or veterinary surgeon. Dur
sists are required to keep q record
OF these prescriptions. The law pro-
hibits the sale Of hypodermics ex-
cept to physician, dentist of veter-
marian, or upon the order Of one. It
also provides for the furnishing OF
official order boo1-s by the boards Of
health to physicians, dentists, veter-
inarians and pharmacists upon which
must be written all orders for the
drugs coming under the law. These
books are to be serially numbered
in duplicate, bound in book form
with carbon or transfer paper be-
tween the duplicate pages. A dupli-
cate of each order or prescription is
thus preserved. Each must contain
the name and address of the person
to whom the drug Is sold.
In New York City a number of
special officers were appointed imme-
diately after the passage Of the law
to insure its enforcement, Through
their vigilance the drug traffic has
been reduced fully one-half within.
three months and the traffickers in
this Illicit trade have increased the
price Of their dope" tremendously.
The police believe that within few
months every opium joint in the city
will be closed up.
The California state law Is more
rigid than that of New York. It
enumerates a long list Of the deriva-
tives NJ onium and 1nornhine and