The Washington times., 1920-07-12
MUCH DOPE
LIQUOR USED
Youth Of City Rapidly Becoming
Addicts to. Pernioious
Beverages.
DR.. FOWLER ACTIVE IN FIGHT
Health Menace Gives Him
Authority for His Crusade,
He Declares.
DR.. FOWLER ACTIVE IN FIGHT

Prohibition Commissioner John F.
Kramer today took a hand in the
situation In Washington regarding
: the selling in near-beer places and
grocery stores of beverages which
can produce intoxication.
For the present Kramer and the
District authorities will concentrate
on one particular brand, which they
say. has had the biggest sale recently,
and which has been the cause OF more
arresta for intoxication in washing
ton than all the others put together.
The fame of this beverage, which is
manufactured in Washington, has
spread TO nearby Maryland and Nir-
ginia, and is producing the same
effects on the residents of those places
as 1t is in Washington. they say.
TheT situation in Washington was
characterized as "deplorable" by one
District official this morning. He SAID
he would leave no stone unturned
until he had banished this special
drink and similar ones from the city.
FOWLER FIGHTING HARD.
DR.. w. c. Fowler, health officer for
the District, is one of the most zeal
Gus foes Of the makers and sellers
of the new beverages. He has been
working on the proposition only a
few days, but in that time he has
collected a mass OF evidence, which.
with the data to be collected by the
prohibition commissioner, Is expected
to end the selling and making OF In
DR.. Fowler, 1t is said by some Of
ficials of the Government, possibly
has overstepped his actual authority
in the matter of putting a stop TO the
sale of these beverages, but they
have no criticisms for him, saying
anything that Is done to stop their
sale, will be one of the best things
that could happen to the community.
DR.. Fowler defends his action by
saying that the drinking Of these
beverages Is hurting the health OF
the community and as such is strict
ly a matter for the Health Depart
ment.
1t Is said the dealers who sell these
beverages, have knowledge Of their
alcoholic contents and even brag OF
thir potency when pressing their sale
They have been told by the manu-
facturers agents, 1T is said, that the
and this also is impressed upon pros
pective customers.
YOUTHS BECOME ADDICTS.
The most deplorable thing in con-
nection with the sale OF these bever-
ages. it is said. is that many of the
younger men Of the city are becom-
ing addicts. There is certain
amount Of drug in the preparations,
which, in addition to the alcoholic
contents, makes their continued Use
most pernicious, the authorities say.
The sale of bottle tops and cappel =
also may be probed. In one particu
lar variety of stores hundreds OF
thousands Of bottle tops arc display
ed on the counter and the stores do
a rushing business in this commodity
alone.
The police have taken very little
notice Of the selling OF bottle tops and
cappers in Washington, although
Major Gessford, Superintendent of
Police, said the sale Of such articles
in a store was "a little suspicious"
It Is probable the police will conduct
n more vigorous campaign to curtail
the sale of these articles after the
prohibition commissioner takes action
on the beverages.
GIVE ~DOPEY" FEELING.
The beverages which are sold in the
near-bear places are of a variety OF
odors and tastes, and have as many
names as the Pullman coaches and
lust as odd and meaningless. Their
prices also range from S5 to 81 a
ouart, and there is no set price, the
prices varying in the various sections
of the city.
From those who have been arrested
for intoxication, the police have found
that these drinks affect persons in
various ways One prominent citizen
was arrested in the early hours of the
morning with his clothes over his
arm and an umbrella over his head.
He was sent to the Washington Asy-
Ium for observation. He recovered in
about thirty-six hours and told the
pbysicians he did not remember a
thing after he had Joined a party of
friends and they had partaken OF
about a quart of one of the new con-
coctions.
In the majority of cases the persons
arrested under the influence OF the
new drinks have told the police they
did not experience the exhilaration
they used to derive from pure rye
but rather a "dopey," siekly senss
tion.