The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-09-12
DRUG ADDICTS
INCREASING
Drastic Anti-Narcotic Law
Must Be Passed by
Congress
INVESTIGATORS TELL
IN PARTIAL REPORT
Thousands of Drafted Men
Dismissed for That
Reason

Washington, D. c., Sept. l2.--Habitua
tise of morphine, cocaine, heroin anC
preparations containing other narcotic
drugs has increased rapidly in the Unit
ed States within the last two years, ant
"a drastic anti-narcotic law must be en-
acted at this session of Congress to check
the wholesale spread of the habit. These
are the conclusions made public to-day
Ny special treasury investigating com
unfttee together with partial report or
l1he number of drug addicts actually un
lder physicians treatment in the states
The investigations of the committee
which is beaded by Representative Raj
ney of Illinois, showed that thousands
of drafted men have been dismissed from
military camps after it was found they
were drug addicts and that this number
included many who systematically de
veloped the habit after being drafted il
order to insure their dismissal. This con
dition is one reason given for the llrgen
cy of immediate remedial legislation.
The necessary measures already have
been embodied in the new revenue bill the
committee reported, providing for regis
fration of manufacturers and dealers in
proprietary medicines containing com.
pounds of narcotic drugs as well as pure
drug. The measure also would tax these
preparations, provide means Of keeping
track of great quantities dispensed an.
nually and stop the loopholes through
which thousands of violators are said ia
escape under the Harrison antinarcotiC
act.
Hundreds of agents of the internal rev.
,enue bureau, acting for the investigating
committee, have reported detailed in
formation concerning consumption OF
morphine, cocaine, heroin, or medicines
containing similar alkaloids, and on
these reports is based the estimate that
at least 100000 persons in the United
States are drug addicts, of whom l,000,-
900 are known as such in their com
munities and the balance secret drug
users. Full reports are expected to show
100000 known users within the former
draft ages of 81 and 81 in New York
alone.
Last year, the committees records
show, the production and sale OF propri-
etary cordials, drops" and paregoriC
syrup, containing derivative of opium
Increased rapidly and that a large pro.
portion was sold to individuals who con.
sumed it for the drug effect rather than
for medicinal purposes.
Some army officers have been found to
he habitual users of morphine, and to
have purchased supplies to take to
france with them
Soldiers In camp obtained narcotic
drugs illicitly from peddlers who loaf
about the outskirts of the camps. Ingeni-
Gus methods Of receiving it were report
ed, including tranmission in pies, candy
or cakes, saturating correspondence pa
per with drug solution, and sending
packets inclosed in knitted articles.
Partial reports from the following
states show the addicts under treatment,
ss reported by physicians
Connecticut, 96s; Delaware, l66
Maine, 427; Maryland, 1862; Massachu-
sets, 2,23s; New Hampshire, 1868; New
Jersey, 2,274; Rhode Island, 54S
In New York City 5000 already have
been tabulated.