Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-31
100000 IN j. S. USE
HAb|T-FORM|NG DRUGS
200,C00 in New York City Ad-
dicted to Morphine and Simi-
lar Potions. Says Official.

Washington, January 30.-The Fed
eral Government has already begun
preparations To combat tho increase IN
the drug evil in the United States That
il expected 10 arrive shortly alter the
nation becomes dry. Prohibition Will
increase the drug evil, in the op'nion
of many officials, they believing that
II YOU take away from nn alcohohc the
liquor he has been using, he may 30
To drugs and become drug hcnd.
Congress is about to delegate to the
Treasury Department authority under
which 4 is expected that the officials
will he allie to cope with the situation.
Tho pending revenue bill. which is in
conference between the Senate and House,
contains legislation which officials be
Iieyc givcs them all the necessary powers
10 noIicc the distribution OF drugs and
restrict their distribution to legitimate
medical uses.
The legislation in the revenue bill
amends the Harrison narcotic act Of
December 1914 While thus act has
been helpful in fighting the drug evil
j; has not proved entirely effective Be
cause of this fact the new legislation
was framed by the Treasury ID, part
mcnt At that time the nation had
not adopted prohibition, but now with
prohibition a reality the officials arc
thankful that Congress is on the verge
nf strengthening the HARRISON law.
While the Treasury Department oil
hcials say that prohibition had nothing
20 do with their desire 90 strengthen the
Harrison law. Representative Henry i.
Raincy. who handled the matter Tor the
Treasury on the floor OF the House,
pointcd out tn his colleagues that pro
hibItion was fast approaching and thus
was an additional reason why tho narcotic
law should he strengthened.
srRrseTVFNISC Tur HARRISON ACT.
Under the legislation contained IN
rhc pcndIrg revenue measure, section
I of tho Harm on act Is rCwrittcn. The
special taxes are substantially increased
81 the physicians pay 81 per an un, I'M
i,,,rter> and manufacturers S2i per annum,
wholesalers ST. per anrum, and retail
dcgIcr, S6 per annum Stamps are re-
nmrcd upon all packages containing the
drui-s lrd the amcrdCd section makes II
unlawful for any person to purchase,
soil ~ dI~tri,,Utc any of the drugs pre-
,rulcd m tho act except IN the original
stamped package or from the orglnlat
stamped package. and severe penalties
arr povidcd FOR violations.
w find A. result 81 computations
and estimates sas far as we have gone
with on investigation that there are IN
all probability in the United States At
tho present DAY 500 600 drug addicts.
ever, ono Of them needing treatment
Thcrc were 10000 drug addicts in the
hrsf draft They were all rejected hy the
camp officers and those who found their
way 10 camp were sent back rs incOm-
petents We find that Young men ac-
qulrcd this habit IN order tn escape the
draft ] have n list of - physicians who
were commissioned as captains and
majors i'm the army of the United States
who arc drug addicts and known drug
addicfs | have the name Of q physician.
himself an addict. who started TO his
post il France carving with him
largo amount of narcotics 70 hand ont
10 soldiers
sixty per cent of the addicts in the
cltv cf Baltimore are Il draft age There