The sun., 1919-04-11
CITY SELLS DRUGS
| TO ADDICTS AT COST
Health Department Clinic
y Seeks to Wrest Victims From
. Dope Vendors.
PITIFUL LINE IN WAITING
Three Physicians Said to Have
|; Issued 100000 Prescrip-
lions in Six Months.

: The city went into business yesterday
as competitor OF the physicians and
druggists who have been supplying un-
fortunate men and women with mar
cotics. by opening a clinic, in the Health
Department Building at 1919 Centre
street and supplying all drug addicts
who came to it with prescriptions en-
ablins them to obtain at cost small
doses of the drugs to which they had
grown accustomed.
II is the plan to encourage drug users
10 obtain the narcotics which they find
30 necessary In this way in order to helm
break up the trade in narcotic drugs
which has grown to such alarming pro-
portions within the last few years The
addicts who apply at the Board of
Health clinic will be encouraged to sub
nit to treatment looking toward their
permanent cure while receiving from the
city prescriptions which will enable them
to obtain just enough of their favorite
drug to prevent them from becoming
seriously Ill. For II is one Of the penal
ties which the narcotic drug imposes on
Its victim, that he cannot give up its use
suddenly.
About seventy-flve addicts availed
Health Department yesterday. After an
examination each patient was given a
prescription enabling him or her to OBJ
tain at one OF the city hospitals a dose
Of his or her accustomed drug at cost.
Amazing Figures Are Given.
Or. Royal s. Copeland, Commissioner
Of Health. presided yesterday at a con-
ference of Federal. State and city au-
thorities and representatives OF all the
county medical societies comprised
within the Ave boroughs which was
called to consider ways and means OF
putting down the drug evil. Among the
lconferees taking an active part in the
meeting were George II. Whitney of the
State Narcotic Commission: Dr. L. FL
lott Harris. chairman of the group of
medical societies. and Major Daniel z.
Porter of the United States Internal
Revenue Department.
Mr.. Whitney reported that within the
last month certain physicians whom he
named. mostly practising on the East
Side, had made application for 10000
drug prescription blanks. Under the
present law pertaining to the sale of
narcotics a druggist Is not permitted to
all any prescription for a narcotic not
made out on an official blank.
Major Porter had brought figures to
7 tne meeting WHICH mHO6 MI. w
appear mild. He told Of three physi-
clans who within the last six months
had issued 100000 prescriptions for
drugs, and related how one of them had
written 271 prescriptions within an hour
on one especially busy day in an office
In which there was no other furniture
than a desk improvsed out OF a packing
box and a single wooden chair.
The sale of drugs at cost is the device
on which the Health Department relies
principally as an offset to tho drug evil.
physicians and druggists who are en-
gagged in the supply OF drugs charge
their victims at the rate of SOS an ounce
for heroin and from $50 to 500 an
ounce for cocaine, Heron costs the
druggists only from s12 to s15 an ounce
Ing scale OF prices which the drug addict
pays is graded according to his neces-
sity. II he is in a condition of suffering
induced by need of his favorite narcotic
both the physician and the druggist who
minister to hi mcharge him more than
they would II he were In a tranquil state
and did not need his drug Instantly.
The participants in yesterdays con- |
ference arrived at definition OF a drug
addict as one who for more than three |
weeks has been dependent on the daily |
administration of a narcotic The main |
purpose of the city clinic at the Health |
Department Is to help drug addicts to
reform. Speaking of the men and |
women who applied for treatment yes
terday DR.. Copeland said: