The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-02-23
DRUG HABIT IS
NOT A DISEASE
An Acquired Habit That
Can be Broken by Prop
er Treatment
OPEN DOOR OF HOPE
Unaided, Every Influence
Contribute TO Patients Re
turn t. Former State

NfW YORK Trn .' nInh' n"
nc dictionary tells ua. ie a regular
nr fixed mod, of action. II may bel
physical or mental. or "a combination
# the two. ,.
fp another definition. habits are
divided into thfcU UltE4itiu1 'luhH
hose Unborn. infused and. laH. the
acquired one. which az" made nN
repetition ~ acts.
no This met uawod group may D"
added tho most porui'iuuH und pow
,rm uf aU habits that ~ narcotic
Wi Tor years this "rnpotition ~
arigf piercing 0,lh with needles
guod with fOrg"tfuluces. luhaiinF
whito powd,r, that bring oblivion
has been called q "dis'nHr.' N1rr"i-
!, addiction cl1gscd ua disease.
therefore has been treated accord
Miss sara Graham Mulhall deputy
rnuIuIspIuurr uf the Now York
state department " narcotic drug
control. has demonstrated in ihoh-
urndy OF Instances that n BE- not %
disease bat merely , habit which
has psychological aH wei aH rhN"-
.cal basis.
This official has undcrtokcn the
difficult and thanklCss role OF
cmancipator. to free tho narcotic al -
diet from tho cuslavcmcni oi his
habit. like othcr sincere crusader
the deputy commissioner. besides
giving away large part Of her pr.
vntc fortune. has deprived Horsc,i or
lifelong fripndships and denied her
,,elf the delights of social ut"rcuurH"
Divostcd OF all othor claims upon
her time, attention and service. thr
deputy commissioner is dcNullng
herself Wholc-hcHrtcdly 10 her chus-
en work.
Registering AddIcts.
you may ask mo, said the dcp-
MY commissioner. why hddlrth are
allowed to be registered and b" civ
cn the drug by law. Bccausc we
have no hospitals except the jail hos.
pitfalls on RikcrH and bla'kWrlls ~,
lands. where even the most refncd
mon and womcn-often unfortunate
victims must hc sent for treatment.
nesides tho undesirnblcness OF as
socIntion with criminals, there arc
no facilities at either OF these inati'
,utlons for occupational thorapy, No-
cationai traning, nor can the addict
remain longer than three months
II I'm the present conditions the nd
dt-s were not allowed to register
and receive their prescriptions from
uhysicinna and their drugs from
chemis<~ they would fail into the
hands OF INSCRIPTIONS peddlcrs ana
receive larger amounts of drug than
they are now allowed by law.
''Too tong has the addict the
slave of habit, been treated by the
poIice and considered bv the public
at large as though he were a Grimm
al. Too long has he been scorned,
Jcered at and dcspised aa an erpe-
cialiy detcstible type OF criminal, lie
is none OF these characters, per Sc.
Criminal Addicts In Minority.
There are. OF course, addicts who
arc also criminals. but these are IN
the minority. Thore nre n vast num-
ber who because OF their habits only
are social misfits II IL unjust 10
throw them into institutions reserved
primarily for lawhreakers.
''It Is often difficult TO persuade
tho addicts 10 take hospital treat
ment. but by means either of dc
privtng thsn Of their registration
cards or by persuasion, many are in
duced toIplaCo themselves In hosl
pltal whbre they can be relieved OF
their craving, and by this hospitallz-
alton do not mean that they must
he treated az though suffering from
a disease. The actual taking Off of
the drug requires hut few days OF
medical treatment.
"But think OF the position Of such
a person. who, after medical treat
ment, goes ont into the world again
Neither his morale nor his physica
condition is strong lie w out ol
touch with normal life and has Nc
associations to return to except tnos'
which are certain TO make him {
prey 10 vice again,
"Thc mental as well as the ply ~
icai desire for this evil habit mus
he broken.
"Fnd me one Instance SAYS IN
deputy com missioner 'of an addict
old or younE, who has cured himscl
pormnucntlv by "A supreme effort @
HIS win There are none, with al
Tho world against him and torment
I'd by his habit It Is physical aH
pwchologicnl impossibility Tor hin
20 throw Off his slavery unaided.'