The Detroit times., 1914-01-26
Wake Up! Kill the Drug Demon.
5y CAAS. 3. TOWNS.
Written Especially for The Time


The American drug plague must be
destroyed It IS time to turn from the
opium curse OF China and look al the
morphine and cocaine curse OF our
own land.
We must prevent e.oOo 900 unsui
lied children now in the nursery and
school room from taking the places OF
more Than 100000 victims already
enslayed
The first thing to DO is 10 cut down
the drug supply by strict regulation
OF The trafIic And that's a job prl-
marlly for Cncle Sam.
We are importing now 100000
pounds OF opium a year besides what
we smugglc IN. and turning four-ffths
OF il into morphine codaine and her
DIN OF these concentrated opium
l poIsons we we are consuming nearly 80
We are importing coca leaves from
which We manufacture every year
100000 ounces of deadly cocaine, and
in addition tens OF thousands OF
ounces are brought In by smugglers.
The federal government should at
tach this stream OF pollution al its
fountain head and control Il all the
way from the importer 10 the ulti.
mate consumer.
IN adequate federal law would pro
vide for the registration OF every i'm
porter. manufactures. wholesaler, re-
tail druggist and physician engaged
In interstate drug commerce. II would
make them all account for every
grain Of drug they handle, through
system Of numbered order blanks sup
piled TO them by the internal revenue
branch OF the United States treasury
department.
b. means Of such records. govern
ment inspectors could stop all leaks.
r. would no longer be possible for an
Illicit vendor to buy any quantity OF
morphine or cocaine from a whole
sale druggist by using fake phar-
macist's letter head. or for victim
TO steal or forge PHYSICIANS station
cry. write his own prescription and
have IL filed By retail druggist
The various states should adopt
uniform laws covering every phase OF
the subject that Tie federal govern
ment cannot touch.
The state laws must tighten the re
striction on the druggist. the doctor.
the nurse and the consumer. They
must prevent The sale OF hypodermic
needles except 20 physicians.
But, first Of all {, must be under
stood that drug victims have rights
that must be protected. They must
have the drug until freed by definite
medical treatment. Deprivation means
death or phy steal, mental and moral
wreckage.
Az eastern business man tells me
that his son has recently been arrest.
cd in Berkeley. Cal. Tor having NOR
mime and cocaine In MS possession
Five years ago ne acquired the NOR
pn1ne habit through the course fol.
lowed 10y his physician in aGminis-
tering a drug in time OF illness. Now
he l. helpless i'm the grip OF IL And
an the state does is To put him INTO
iail
Every city police 'courS Ia the land
l. thronged With drug victims. And
tho only remedy applied Is a work.
house sentence
-Proper state laws would provide
that no doctor migrt give his patient
a habit.formingl drug longer than three
weeks without consultation and hat,
II the drug were continued the ease
should be reported ~ the board OF
health. That would provide 10 the
authorities IA list of all who could not
lao without the drng.
These patients whether rich or
poor. should then have medical help
furnished bA public Institutions.