The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1919-03-14
Profess to See Probable Increase
as Result of Prohibition APP
parent That License Has Failed
to Prevent Drug Traffic

Speakers before the State Commits
sion of Narcotic and Drug Control at
a meeting held in Hotel Aston, New
York City, according to the New
York Herald, predicted a tremendous
extension of the drug habit as result
OF Prohibition and the return OF hun
dreds of thousands of soldiers.
DR.. Royal Copeland, Health Com
missioner, told the meeting that he
had been informed OF great activity
on the part OF the drug manufacturers
because OF the certainty OF demand for
drugs after July |. He declared that
the menace was OF such proportions
that it must be met powerfully and
at once and suggested that definite
headquarters be established at various
points in the city where drugs could
be obtained by drug users. Dr. Cope
land expressed the belief that in this
way alone could the drug users be put
upoh gradually decreased supply and
finally be cured OF the habit
Chief Magistrate William G. Nc
Adoo to whom all drug users in Man
haitian must complain of themselves,
il they seek treatment in. city institu-
tions, told the meeting OF pitiful cases
that have come to his attention and
declared that there is crying need in
the state OF New York for proper in
situations to harbor and cure drug adj
diets. He said that more than four
hundred thousand persons OF all ranks
and grades OF society are known to be
addicts to the use of drugs in New
York state and that the impossibility
of aiding them will be accentuated by
the vast increase OF drug addicts
promised by coming events in the
United States. He said that all the
cases that have come to his attention
numbering thousands upon thousands,
are hopeless unless there are some
provisions OF the building up OF the
subjects both morally and physically
To this end he urged the building of
proper institution to care for the
addcts. He said that ninety-fve per
cent of the cases he encounters are
built upon the heroin habit and mas
much as heroin has been found to
have negligible value in the medical
profession. ii is time for the govern
ment to step in and stop the manufac-
ture of this vicious drug entirely.
1t is well to note that Chief Magis-
trate McAdoo estimates the number
of drug addicts in New York state
now to be four hundred thousand.
comprised of all ranks and grades OF
society. These addcts are procuring
drugs in one of the wettest states OF
the Union. The public should be pre-
pared to receive shortly after Prohi-
bition becomes effective, accounts pur-
porting TO show how Prohibition has
made this nation a nation OF habit
forming drug users. All signs point
to the fact that the liquor interests
publicity men are preparing TO launch
such a campaign of publicity in the
interest of booze To that end put it
in your note book, that Chief Magis-
trate McAdoo OF Manhattan who han
dies the drug addict cases of the city
estimates that there are now four hun
dred thousand drug users in this wet
state alone. This certainly is conclu-
sive evidence that the presence OF the
licensed barroom is no guarantee
against the indscriminate traffic in
dangerous drugs.