Arizona republican., 1917-01-03
WOULD AMEND THE HARRISON
 NARCOTIC LAW
IRepuoIican A. p. Leased Wirel

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2.--In connec- tion with proposed amendments to the
 Harrison Narcotic law which are 0 be considered by congress. Charles B. Towns of New York, an auunorlty on anti-drug legislation, urges that con- gress empower President Wilson tv appoint a committee to investigate the
 whole subject of federal responsibili- ty in the solution of the habit farm ing drug problem. Devoting a twenty page pamphlet to the information of congress" Mir. Towns declares that the findings of such a federal com mittee would help the various states to arrive at a uniform solution of the drug problem, and would establish ! legislative. medical and sociological precedent 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 ter
 minating this evil"
 My findings have shown said MT. Towns. that not more than ten pee cent of those afflicted with the drug habit are entitled to use drugs con- tinuously because of physical disabili ty. We are sacrificing ninety per cert of those who could be well and
 normal without the drug to alleviate
 ing of some few incurable per sons.'
 Among many loopholes in the pres ent laws. MT. Towns pointed out that a drug taker or any person purporting
 to be drug taker can at present have
 just as many physicians prescribing Il
 narcotic for him as he may see fit to have, and he may demand just as
 much of the drug as he choses to
 take.
 The doctor does not have to find out whether or not the patient is a
 confirmed 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 many co-called patent med
 icines and "proprietaries" are res ponsiole for the growth of the drug addiction. Mir. Towns suggested that one solution of the drug problem
 might be to restrict the manufacture. sale, prescribing and administering ot opiates strictly to crude opium. to
 laudanurn and paregoric and to hold
 the physician to a strict accounting
 of all these he personally prescribes
 or administers.
 We can dispense even with nor phine and all of the opium alkaloids."
 he said. T can go back to the time in the south when there was an old rose wood medicine chest with ball or opium and vile of paregoric, and
 these easily met every possible need where Opiates were considered neces
 sary to alleviate pain. The medical profession would not be inconvinced Tn
 the slightest degree by such a restric tion and would at once eliminate every unfavorabl hazard that has grown out of the use of habit forming drugs for medical prescription"
 Mir. Towns also urged that the sale i of hypodermic syringes should be restricted to purchase by physician 8 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 posses sion of hypodermic needle except by the physicians order and that the dose to be administered should at all times | he strictly regulated by the physician. "A committee of able men appointed by the president with adequate ap- 1 propriation to enable them to conduct ! hearings ana make investigations ana 1 empowered to go to the bottom of the drug problem-take off the roof and l open up the whole business to the 1 blue sky, could do wonders" said MT. ! Towns. The states could then enact l proper corelative and interacting legis- lation and the drug situation would | be securely in hand.
 | As soon as the war is over. the 1 time will be ripe and right for us to bring about the necessary inter ! national understanding on this sub 1 icct with all of the prime movers of ! tho vrorld