Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-16
A dope" LAW WITH TEETH

THE report on the narcotic evil in Phil
adelphia and Pennsylvania, which APP
pears I'm another column, leaves nothing
for the State Legislature TO do but write
into the lnw It's excellent and incontro-
vertible suggestions. But just as inn
portant as the special salvage OF human
wreckage therein directed Is the manner
in which the necessary legislation was
prepared. II Is shown what a small body
Of men OF expert knowledge and unques-
toned disinterestedness can get done
when they are right In n certain matter
and know they are right II is shown
that the democratic spirit, aided by pub
ilcity, not only sets free all men 10 pro-
tect the individual but-equally impor.
tant-scts free one man, or mere hand
full of men. to protect the whole com.
munity
The most striking fact in the report is
that In those State institutions which
re lied TO the committees questions
thirty-three drug users had been treated
In the year preceding the enforcement OF
the Harrison act and 244 in the following
year Thus the act, in restricting the
to the lawful channel of physicians pre-
scriptlons. drove the drug users out of
the streets and into the hospitals. It
did this until 1t was emasculated by a
United States court decision which de-
clared void that section which made It a
crime for an unauthorized person TO
carry the drugs on his person. This de-
cision and the intense demand at famine
prices for narcotics gave an enormous
impetus to the Illicit dispensing and
smuggling of the drugs. Thus the physi-
clans and the Federal authorities found
that the force which was driving the
starved drug users into the hospitals was
suddenly rendered impotent. Thousands
bought drugs from the scoundrels whom
the law itself had decided 1t could not
reach.
The bill suggested by the committee of
Philadelphians contains in section the
needed teeth:
| That II shall be unlawful for any
| person whatsoever TO have in his pos
session or under his control any of the
aforesaid drugs except In pursuance TO
written order or In pur-
suance to the prescription of a physi-
clan who has prescribed the same in
good faith.
The vendors Of the drugs in Tenderloin
restaurants and on the street are known
TO the police. Their appearance betrays
them, for most of them are drug users
themselves. They will be arrested on sus-
picion when this bill becomes a law,
searched and deprived Of their wares and
sent TO jail.
This alone would not solve tho problem.
II has been emphasized again and again.
In articles with which this newspaper
was privileged to aid the committee in it's
service, that II would be barbarous to de-
prive the helpless drug addicts of their
ghastly food, however unlawfully pro-
cured. without providing for their treat.
ment The report is equally emphatic on
this point. II shows that an act ap.
proved April IL, 1916. provided for the
commitment OF drug users to the State
Institution for Inebrlates, but that this
act is Intellectual until provision is made
for the building Of this institution.
Many a brilliant and useful citizen was
a weak and easily led youth. Luckily he
was saved from the graver perils. The
report is conservative in saying, "The
habitual use OF narcotic drugs is suffi-
ciently serious in its nature and wide
spread in extent to constitute an in
creasingly grave source of danger to the
social and economic well-being OF Phila.
delphia and Pennsylvania" The loss
through delay and the saving through
| r-ornntuaaa xuo,tid ha fnaatiuahia