The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-01-05
IN
THE DRUG LAWS
(By Associated Press.l

Washington. Jan. Sin connection
\ with proposed amendments to the
/ Harrison narcotic law which are to
be considered by congress, Charles b.
Towns OF New York, an authority on
| anti -drug legislation, urges that con-
| gress empower President Wilson to APP
point committee to investigate the
whole subject OF federal responsibility
in the solution of the habit forming
drub problem. Devoting a twenty
page pamphlet to "the information of
| congress-" Mr.. Towns declares that the
! findings OF such federal committee
would help the various states to arrive
at a uniform solution of the drug
| problem, and would establish a Iegis-
lative, medical and sociological prec-
| edent that would give this country
| for the first time the primacy it ought
| to have in asking other countries to
| join, with us once and for all in
| terminating this evil"
my findings have shown" said Mr..
Towns. that not more than 10 per
| cent OF those afflicted with the drug
habit are entitled to use drugs con-
| tinuously because Of physical disabili-
ey. We are sacrificing 80 per cent of
those who could be well and normal
| without the drug to alleviate suffering
of some few incurable persons"
Among many loopholes in the pres
| ent laws Mr.. Towns pointed out that
drug-taker or any person purport-
ing to be a drug taker can at present
| have just as many physicians prescribe
| ing a narcotic for him as he may see
| fit to have. and he may demand just
as much of the drug as he chooses to
| take.
1.-THE doctor does not have to find out
! whether or not the patient is a con-
| firmed drug-taker: he can take the
| mans word for it and prescribe just
| what the patient asks for. A few such
| patients could practically corner al
most the entire habit-forming drug
| market and. if they wanted to do so.
| could establish themselves in the
habit-forming drug business"
After pointing out the extent to
| which may so-called patent medicines
| and "proprietaries" are responsible for
the growth Of drug additions. Mr..
! Towns suggested that the solution of
/ the drug problem might be to restrict
the manufacture. sale, prescribing and
| administering Of opiates strictly to
/ crude opium, to laudanum and pare
goric. and to hold the physicians to a
| strict accounting of all these he per-
| sonally prescribes or administers.
I'VE can dispense even with
| morphine and all of the opium aka
| loids." he said. II can go back to the
| time in the south when there was an
old rosewood medicine chest with a.
| ball of opium and a vial Of paregoric,
| and these easily met every possible
1 need where opiates were considered
necessary to alleviate pain. The medi-
cal profession would not be incon-
venienced in the slightest degree by
I such a restriction and it would at once
| eliminatcaevery unfavorable hazard that
| has grown out of the use of habit
| forming drugs for medical prescrip-
/ tion."
Mr.. Towns also urged that the sale
| OF hypodermic syringes should be re-
stricted to purchase by physicians
prescription. Outside of New York
state" he said, these can be bought
! in any drug store and in most depart
ment stores as easily as a package of
| chewing gum" He declared that the
nurse should not be allowed possession
| of hypodermic needle except by the
| physicians order and that the dose to
| be administered should at all times
be strictly regulated by the physi-
clan.
"A committee of able men appointed
by the president with adequate APP
preparation to enable them to conduct
hearings and make Investigations and
empowered to go to the bottom Of the
drug problem-take off the roof and
| open up the whole business to the blue
sky, could do wonders" said Mr..
| Towns. "The states could then enact
proper corelative and interacting legis-
Iation and the drug situation would
be securely in hand.
"As soon as the war is ovPr the time
will be ripe and right for us to bring
about the necessary international
understanding on this subject will all
of the prime powers Of the world"