The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-09-12
NARCOTIC DRUGS
SOLD TO SOLDIERS
BY THE MILLIONS
Stringent Law Must Be Pro-
vIdCd to Stop Sale,

WASHINGTON, Sept l2-Habitual
use OF morphine cocaine, heroin and
preparations containing other drugs has
increased rapidly in the United States
within the last two years and drastic
amin; rcotc law must be enacted ~
tf'S ses'ion OF congress to check the
-'sar spread Of the habit These
gre TIE conclusions made public today
by special treasury investigating com
mice, together with a partial report
on tie number OF drug addicts actually
under physicians" treatment in the
\ st7tcS.
The Investigations Of the committee.
" II is headed by RepreSentatiye
X 1ey Of ll,nois, showed that thousand,
OF drafted men have been dismissed
iron military camps after il was found
they were drug addictS and that this
number included many who syNcmati-
cally developed the habit after being
dra ted in order 10 insure their dis
mi5'al. This condition is ono reason,
given for the urgency Of immediate
remedial legislation.
he necessary measures already have
been embodied IN the new revenue bill.
the committee reported. providing for
registration Oi manufacturers and deal
ers m proprietary medicines containing
compounds OF narcotic drugs as well as
the pure drugs The measure also
10
npans OF keeping track OF great guam
titles dispensed annually and stop the
loopholes through which thousands OF
violators are said to escape under the
Harrison anti-narcotic act
Over Million Addc
Hundreds OF agents OF the internal
'reycnue bureau. acting Tor the lnyes-
tlgat.ng committee. have reported de
tailed information concerning consump-
tion Of morphine, cocaine heroin or
medicines containing similar alkaloids
and on these reports is based the es,i-
mate that a, least 800 900 persons in
the United States are drug addiotS, OF
whom l,OUOn arc known as such in
their communl,ie,. and the balance
secret drug users Full report, are ex-
peeted to show 10000 known users with
in the former drait ages Of y and 81
IN New York alone. Uncounted thouS-
ands in addition get their supplies
clandestinely from peddlers. against
whom internal revenue agents wage
perpetual warfare
Last year the committees records
show. the production and sale Of p&
prietsry cordials. drops" and paregoric
Syrup. containing a derlvative OF opium,
INCREASED rapidly and that large pro-
,ortion was sold TO individuals who
onsumed 1t for the drug effect rather
han for the medical purposes.
Officers are Buyers.
Some army officers have been found
Isbe habilual users OF morphine, and
have purchased supplies to take to
rance with them.
Soldiers in camp obtained narcotic
ugs illieiily from peddlers who 'oai
Bout the outskirts OF the camp. In
senions methods OF receiving it were
reported. including transmission IN
pics, candy or cakes satulating CORES
oondenoe paper will a rug solution
md sending packets encloied in knitted
articles,
Parssl reports show the following
,ddiets reported by physicians under
featinent IN states with numbers to he
doubled and tripled probably by the
ater reports
Arkansas 1850. Illinois 1872; Kan.
as i,4SS; Kentucky 1902. Louisiana
ITO; Mississippi 'O1 Missouri j,272,