Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-04-13
NARCOTIC LAWS EFFECT.

The Harrison narcotic law went into
effect year ago. This law requires
that all who have 10 do with the sale OF
opium and drugs made from opium and
cocaine and drugs made from cocaine
shall be licensed by the federal govern
ment and shall keep records OF all
sales.
1t is not a law prohibiting the sale or
use of opium, morphine, cocaine. and
allied drugs. 1t merely requires that all
dealers keep records which will permit
the government to keep track of all
sale, of the drugs Physicians, as be-
ing parties to the sales, are required to
take out licenses and to account for all
opium and its derivatives and cocaine
which come into their hands.
Prof. Wilbert Of the public health
service says: The active enforcement
OF the law has already had a whole
some effect in reducing the sale of mar
cotlc drugs. Druggists and physicians
with few exceptions have done their
best to live up 10 the law. some of the
large wholesale dealers in drugs report
that their sales of opium, morphine,
codein, heroin, ard cocaine have fallen
OH from 70 to so per cent. The retail
druggists report that they are selling
much less of the drugs. The depart
ment of ommerc thinks tina .bout
as much of the drugs is being imported
as before the law went into effect"
The fiscal ear of the department Of
commerce ends on July |. We will not
be able to say with eXactness what eff
feet The law has had on import until
after July 1 next. The imports for
the year ending July /, 1915, showed
no decrease over the previous year
Perhaps there We're several reasons for
this.
The law was only in force during the
last four months OF hat fiscal year
Many drug users laid in a large supply
OF their drug just before the law went
into effect. Men who peddle drugs IL
iegltimately to addicts stocked up with
as much as they could find money to
buy. That was n reason.
Many countries which formerly
pought drugs in Europe have bought
from American brokers since August,
1914. That was another reason.
Clause 6 of the law permits the use
OF opium provided the amount in a
~teaspoonful is not greater than in a
t~easpoonful Of paregoric. Cough medi-
cines, diarrhoea mixtures, and many
other patent medicines contain either
opium, codein, or heroin. So+long as
they keep the percentage as low as it is
IN ~paregoric they are not required to
register with the government under
the Harrison law. That was a third
reason.
All in all, the law has prove a good
thing. In a few years, when we have
learned from experience we should
change some Of the provisions Of this
law. For instance, section 6 should be
stricken out. Paregoric has started
many persons on the road to the drug
habit.
Some Of the states have passed laws
similar to the Harrison law or based
ON it. Among them are New York,
Pennsylvania, Colorado, Connecticut
and Illinois. Tennessee has a very good
law requiring that drug users regis
ter. Professor Wilbert suggests that
laws should AVE the following
additional provisions:
Further restriction of the quantity
as we'll as the kind of drugs that may
be sold without a record being kept.
Revocation of the licenses Of physicians,
Pharmacists, dentists and veterinarians
are drug addicts. Revocation of
license of physicians, pharmacists, dem
lists and veterinarians who have been
convicted of violating the Harrison law
and state laws on the same subject.