The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-27
MORE THAN MILLION
DRUG ADD|CTS IN NATION
Investigating Committee Makes Esti-
mate--Big Cities Have Relatively
More Users.

According to Washington press dis
patches. the committee appointed to
investigate the narcotic drug habit in
the United states estimates that the
number of persons in the country ad-
dicted to the use Of drugs exceeds
million at the present time"
The liquor interests are protesting
to be alarmed at the prospect of mar
cotic drugs suppianting alcoholic lia-
uors when the prohibition amend
ment becomes operative, but there is
nothing in the report that would in
dictate that there has been a bigger
increase in dry territory than in wet.
In fact. the large wet centers of the
nation seem to he headquarters of the
drug traffickers.
New York city at present Is In the
throes of A drug investigation, and
facts brought out show that despite
the thousands of saloons in that big
city the drug traffic has increased
with leaps and bounds in the last few
years
1t is we'll for people to make note
of the fact that this committee esti-
mates that there are at present more
than million drug users in the ma
ton, for it is expected that within
short time after the national prohi-
bition policy is put into effect the
| liquor interests IN tnelF ca m pHISn OF
notification will put the responsible
lily for the drug traffic upon prohibit
ton.
The committee which made the in
vestigation consisted of Congressman
f, +. Rainey of Illinois: Professor
Reed S. Hunt Harvard university:
Deputy Commissioner y. c. Keith
internal revenue bureau, and DR.. u. G,
Dumese, United States Puplic Health
service
The number of addcts is only esti-
mated. The report says in part:
The mum Der of addicts reported 10
the health officers replying to aues-
tionaire was 105,s77. AS this num-
| Der represents the addicts reported by
only &c per cent OF the health officials
from which this information was re-
quested, we may assume that had all
! the health officials replied. the total
number would have amounted 10 APP
proximately APO, 900. This number.
| however, appears to be much too low
| in view OF the fact that the pl7ysi-
| clans Of the. country are estimated tn,
have had about 237 900 addicts under
! treatment during the same period and
| only A small portion of the total mum
! Der Of addicts present themselves for
| treatment. Addicts of the under
| world. for instance, secure most of
| their supply through Illicit channels
| and rarely, II ever, consult a physi-
! clan.
I'm reply to questionalres sent to
| health officers Of state. county. and
| health officers Of municipalities, the
| health commissioner of New York
| city reported total of 100000 ad-
| diets, which is equivalent TO Ia per
| cent Of the population On this basis
! the~t would he 90s 900 addicts in
| the United States.
! Information in the hands OF the
committee indicates that drug addic-
| ton is less prevalent in rural districts
/ than in cities or in congested centers.
| Taking these figures into considera-
| ton the committee is of the opinion
| that the total number of drug addicts
| II this country exceeds one million
| At the present Time"
| Thus ii will be seen by the report
Of the committee that the drug habit
| is more prevalent in the congested
| centers of the nation The liquor in
| forests have always insisted that pro-
| hili'iou is a product of the rural com
| munlties and the committee says the
| rural communities of this nation are
! freer from the drug habit than are the
| cities. This being true no accurate
| estimate could be gained, using New
| York city as basis for that estimate.
| me com mitIee itSelt does not Ven
| ture an opinion of what effect nation
| wide prohibition will have on the
| situation. Discussing this feature Of
the case the report says:
| What effect. If any, nation wide
| prohibition will have on the situation.
could not he definitely determined by
the committee.
The consensus OF opinion OF those
| interested in the subject appears to be
| that the number OF addicts will in
crease under nation wide prohibition.
These opinions are based for the
| most part on the theory that the
/ drinkers will seek a substitute for al
| cohol and that opiates and cocaine
will be sought as most satisfactory
| for thiS purpose"
| II is worthy of note, however. that
| this theory Is not horne out by facts.
| The dry cities Of the nation do not
| show that the drug traffic has in
| creased
Weli-knOwn Brand.