The Cordova daily times., 1922-01-05
BAR ON OPlUkB UNITED STATES
 BEING URGED
NEW YORK HEALTH coMMiS- sIohER SAYS THIS COUNTRY CAN SAVE ITSELF ONLY BY RAISING iMPENETRA1LE BAR RiER AGAINST DEADLY PRop- UcT OF POPPY

UcT OF POPPY NEW YORK. Jan. 5.--For every ] active, high-strung young American, 1 running his affairs at top speed of efficiency, there is the danger of let ting drugs offer "rest," the tempta-
 tion to try little suspended animal tion" rather than a normal vacation, or to substitute false stimulus for real vigor.
 And then there are the wretched
 addicts steeped in the hopes and de- spairs and deceiving vapors that curl up from the poppies of the 1 East
 For here in our United States is re-
 produced that which was the China of fifteen years ago.
 Here in our midst is the China that was the worlds greatest opium consumer. Here is the China which
 uses sixteen times more narcotic drugs than any other civilized coun- try today
 Is it so strange. then, that addicts
 who take cures to rid them of this raging fever and desire sink back into the vast swamp of narcotic fumes which is all about us? These facts are offered by Dr. Royal s. Copeland, health commits sioner of New York City, who ad- vocates national legislation to eradi- cate an evil more deadly than the
 whiskey habit lately made difficult if not impossible by constitutional amendment.
 USE IS INCREASING RAPIDLY The use of opium is increasing. says Dr. Copeland
 Five hundred and sixty-four thou
 sand pounds of crude opium were
 imported into the United States in 1918. The year after that we import ! ed 64O,O00 pounds. Statistics show
 that would mean fifty grains for
 every man, woman and child in the l country.
 AS regards opium using, we are
 using the same amount China did fifteen years ago when she was the
 chief opium consumer of the world.
 The United States now has that
 doubtful distinction. We got very much excited over
 the whiskey habit. We have amend
 ed the Constitution as measure
 against it. But without entering into
 any discussion of prohibition, want
 to say that. in my mind, the opium
 evil is infinitely more harmful than
 the whiskey habit ever was. When drinker is deprived of his ! whiskey he becomes limp dish | rag. He suffers as an individual. "Whiskey being stimulant, this reaction comes when the storm sub
 sides
 But when the opium user comes
 out from the influence of this drug, which is a sedative and holds the l nervous system and the organs of
 the body in check, he is excited and
 greatly stimulated. Now, while any normal man may want to kill his mother law yes, I've got one and she doesn't
 mind these remarks of mine-the opium user without his fumes will kill any one. Society at large will suffer from him.
 "If the United States and Canada would join in identical procedure in regulating the opium traffic we would have no further worry than to
 watch the smuggling in from for eign parts, and you can be sure that
 Dr. Carleton Simon will attend to
 that very thoroughly.
 "The problem must be dealt with
 nationally and in conjunction with
 Canada-unless we do that we might
 as well throw up our hands and
 quit.
 ''The way to cure the habit is to
 have no drugs available. If there
 is no opium there can be no habit. 1 Until then we cannot wipe out the