Evening star., 1919-10-12
|ONE OUT OF HUNDRED !
IN u. S. DRUG ADDICT
Senator France Bill Gives Federal Gov,
ernment Hand in Stamping Out Use !.
Of Habit-Forming Drugs.
BY q. GOULD LINCOLN,

BY q. GOULD LINCOLN.
A roundup OF the drug addicts in
this country and their cure through
federal aid is proposed in a bill re,
Gently favorably reported to the SEN
ate. Senator Joseph 1. France OF Mary
land chairman Of the committee on
public health and national quarantine
himself a physician. is the author OF
the bill. Now that 1t Is on the Senate
calendar. Senator France Is demand
ing prompt action on the ground that
t is an emergency OF prime impor-
,ance to the American people.
! The facts regarding the spread OF
drug addiction in this country are
startling. A report on the traffic In
narcotic drugs in this country by a
special committee appointed by the
Secretary Of the Treasury estimates
that the total number of drug "hends''
is at present in excess of 100000.
This means that one person out OF
every 100 in the United States is a
user of drugs.
Other estimates have placed the
total number Of drug addicts in this
country as high as 100000, but
owing to the underground trade In
drugs, the furtive way in which the
business is conducted and the care
with which many of the addicts con-
ceal their use Of drugs, accurate hg-
ures are extremely difficult to acquire
Senator France. in reporting his bill
to the Senate. conservatively placed
the number of drug addicts at half a
million.
Drug Habit Is Growing.
But whatever the exact number. the
drug habit is growing among the peo-
pie. 1t is sapping their strength
bringing about degeneracy, and cost
ing the nation much in dollars as well
as in lack of production. 1t has beer
estimated that it costs a person ad'
dicted to the use of drugs at Least
$61.18 a year to satisfy the craving fol
the drugs he or she uses.
| If there are 100000 addicts, ther
i
$61 ,O0O, 900 for the drugs to satisfy the
cravings Of the drug users annually
Many Of the addicts are not employed
regularly. and in their non -employ.
ment there is an economic loss inquired
at many millions of dollars-perhaps
$3.50, ,00O, ,000-alone in wages whicf
they would earn, not to mention the
value of the products from thei'
| labor.
Opponents of nationwide pronipi-
| ton have argued that the doing away
with liquor would result in many
persons falling back upon the use o.
habit-forming drugs to quiet the,,
they no longer can obtain alcoholic
beverages. Senator France is OF the
| opinion that the enforcement OF me
| wartime prohibition act. to be FOL
| lowed early next year with nation'
wide prohibition under the constitu.
more Imperative that the fedora
| governmen. should lend a hand II
! stamping out the use OF habit-1orm
ing drugs. Some Of the cities ant
| states which have reported upon TN
subject of drug addiction have statee
that, with the enforcement OF prom
| bition laws. the use of drugs ma
| shown an increase.
| Sale Of Narcotics Increases.
| Investigations made in some Of thu
| southern states. where prohibition
has been in force for a number OF
| years, has indicated that the saiei
! Of narcotic drugs and cocaine, anc
| Of such preparations as Bateman
drops. Godfrey's cordial and pare.
! goric. exempt under section OF the
Harrison act dealing with the sale
! of narcotics. has been on the IN
| crease in dry territory.
| The federal government Is In po.
| sition today to take leading Par'
in stamping out the drug evil ins me
| bill proposed by Senator France and
| backed up by his committee is an
| other Of the "half-and-half" meas
| ures by which the federal govern
| ment proposes to extend aid along
| certain lines to the states. 1t pro-
vides 100000 to be expended our
$4,000 to be expended during the
| fiscal year 1921. This money is to
! be apportioned among the states by
! the Secretary of the Treasury, but
| in no case is the federal appropria-
tion allowed a state to exceed the
| amount Of money appropriated by
| the state, or contributed within the
state, for the care and treatment OF
drug addicts.
Owing to the fact that the rigid
| enforcement of the Harrison act, de-
signed to prevent the general sale
and use Of narcotic and habit-form
| ing drugs, would have created des.
perate situation, in the absence OF
adequate hospital facilities to treat
| those hopelessly addicted to the use
| of drugs, the law has not been en-
| forced as 1t was intended, according
to Senator France. To take away
the drugs which the unfortunates
who use them depende upon. with
out attempting to provide treatment
| for their cure, would be inhuman. 1t
is argued.
Bill Provides Treatment.
It is to provide this treatment that
the France bill has been framed
Under it's provisions not only is
money provided, to be expended In
connection with the states. but provi-
sion is made for turning over to the
public health service OF the United
States such hospitals and equipment
to spare for use in the treatment OF
the drug users. At this time. it is
believed, when tremendous hospitals
and great quantities OF supplies were
nurchased to meet war needs, the
government is In good shape to make
war on the drug habit.
The consumption OF narcotic drugs
in the United States has increased
rapidly ever since their Introduction
and to an extent that is alarming.
Opium, in 1915. was consumed In this
dountry to the amount OF 100000
pounds. and more than 100000
hounds of coca leaves. This does not
take into consideration the large
Canadian and Mexican borders and
thromch norts on the Pacific and At