Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-02-25
DISCOVER
4 MILLION
DRUGlJSERS
TRAFFIC IN u. S.
Health Commissioner of
New York Declares Dope
Menace Grows as PrOhibi-
ton Comes

u6IS IL NC oil 1ICl CdSS III tlLC
drug habit as soon as prohi bition
goes into effect. AS the number
of DRINKS grows, smaller the
number of coke fends' will get
larger.
That is the dry wave" warning
straight from DR.. Royal S. Cope
land, health commissioner of
Americas largest city, which
houses more Happy Dust users
than any other city in the United
States. ...... -. aee -s
Cocaine in its effect is the
next thing to alcohol" DR.. Cope
land explained; land naturally
the habit must grow as soon as
the country is made dry. The mar
cotic evil will become menace in
this country"
DR.. Copeland is not alone in his
fears. Investigations of the con-
gressional committee, headed by
Representative Rainey, of Illinois,
disclosed the fact that drug habits
were increasing in territory al
ready dry" and that thousands
of drafted men were dismissed
from military camps after it was
learned that they were drug ad-
diets
The new revenue bill increases
the efficiency of the Harrison mar
cotic law, providing for the regis
tration of manufacturers and
dealers in proprietary medicines
containing compounds of narcotic
drugs. zs4s-z-..,, .-s.szs. <--
The United States internal rev.
enue service estimates there are
100000 users of narcotics in New
York City alone; that there are
million known drug addicts in the
United States, and probably as
many more secret drug users.
Demand in ''dry" states, especial
ly of the south, for narcotic patent
medicines has increased tremen-
dously within the last year or two
''The evil can be controlled only
by registration of the 'fiends,' -
asserts DR.. Copeland. Give
them cards bearing their finger
prints and their photographs. Es-
tablish an agency which they
would have to come to with their
prescriptions to get their sup
plies. In this manner their doses
can be gradually reduced until
they are cured of the habit"
Internal revenue officers raid
ed one New York drug store and
took with them in taxicabs $4,000
prescriptions for morphine and
heroin. This was Cohens phar-
macy, 16 Amsterdam avenue. 1t
represented that stores annual
crop of dope" prescriptions, and
cost drug fends $150,O00. The
raiders found about $10,000I
worth of dope in the store.
These prescriptions had been
furnished dope fiends by physi-
clans, three Of whom were ar
rested. Cohens pharmacy was de-
scribed by revenue agents as the
greatest retail market for. drugs
they had ever heard of. But they
insist that many other drug stores
make large profits filing dope"
prescriptions given by doctors,
and they assert that many doctors
make a speciality of catering to
drug users, selling narcotic pre-
scriptions at from 81 to 81
DR.. Charles A. Rosewater, of
Newark. n. J., has been investi-
eating the narcotic evil in other
cities.
"The habit is increasing" he
said. There are at least 1.000,-|
900 persons in the United States
who are addicted to narcotic
drugs, and make use of either CO.
caine or opium and its deriva-
tives."
DR.. Rosewater asserts people
without number use all manner of
injurious preparations containing
opium and cocaine. as for exam
pie, paregoric, which may under
the Harrison law contain two
grains of opium to the ounce.
Zone physician in a southern
city prescribed $4,000 morphine
tablets in six months practice.
The importation of coca leaves
from which cocaine is extracted
has increased.
"The enforcement of national
prohibition without control of the
traffic in drugs will be followed by
an increase in the use of patent
medicines in which narcotics ap-
pear as ingredients.
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