Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-04-06
Highways and By-Ways
Of Liz or New York
By R M o N D C RR o L L
Copyright. 1922. by Public Ledger Company -
N D C A R R O L L

berries, murders and hold-ups his views
are of moment. He prepared the state
ment for this column:
Drug addiction is not a disease, but d
pernicious habit; and drug addicts are
much the same in prison as out of prison.
They are all the same wherever you find
them when they are being taken Off the
drug-mena, contemplate, selfish and as
arrogant as conditions both inside and
outside the institutions will permit them
to be.
1.-THE public hospitals in the city of
New York treated addicts with a treat
ment at that time that was supposed to
be Of the most humane method Of
handling those people. 1t was not a
failure, so far as the treatment was con-
cerned. The inmates were relieved of
their drug addiction and it was demon
strated to them that they were able to
live better without the drug than with
1t. It was q failure in this respect
The public officials became Disguised
with the drug addict and his arrogance,
which seems to have been fostered by
the walls of sentimentalists who preached
the unfortunate drug addict and de-
veloped for him a sympathy far beyond
his deserts.
1.-The treatment of drug addiction is
bound to fail in public hospitals unless
some custodial power is given to Of
ficials of the institutions, and until the
public in general realizes the true con-
ditions of drug addicts and treats them
as they properly deserve, but AS long
as drug addicts are permitted and en-
cOuraged by people wkO create wrong
impressions to make a bedlam Of hos
pitfalls, just so long will the treatment
OF drug. addiction in institutions other
than penal be a failure.
1.-The last few years have been fruitful
as far as the study of drug addiction
is concerned. We know now that the
hospital equipment need not be so elabo-
rate. Drug addiction, as viewed by the
medical profession, is not a disease as
they recognize disease, but a habit, the
symptoms present being a result Of the
inhibitory action of the drug on the
functions Of the organs.
Drug addiction Is a most pernicious,
degrading and degenerating practice
and II persisted IN, no drug addict falls
to become degenate physically, mentally
and morally. AS far as being statistically
a criminal 1t Is my opinion that every
drug addict is a potential criminal. The
lack Of criminal acts in the so-called re
spectacle drug addict results from his
ability to obtain the drug. Let him be
deprived of the drug by lack OF funds
or opportunity, and you will hnd Grim
inal who viii stop at nothing to obtain
his supply.
I'VE know Of no drug addict who IS
~ ~ ~
vice wilfully, the majority refusing TO be
cured and their real criminal status Is
often only a matter Of few dollars. 1t
IS remarkable that while some persons
are so interested to keep the so-called
respectable. innocent drug addicts away
from the criminal the criminal Is Just
as anxious to be kept away from the
contemplate 'hophead' or coke as they
call them.
at Is a noteworthy fact that inmates
Of a prison locate a mans true character
quicker than all the social workers, pa
role officers, judges and even psycholo-
giNs. The criminals IN prison do not
agree that the drug abdicts may become
contaminated by association with them;
but they shun the drug addict as one
not fit with whom to associate. There
is not in any treatment anything which
prevents a recurrence. All treatments
simply take the addict off the drug, and
It IS purely a matter OF selR-cOntrol
whether he returns to the habit or not.
All debates or discussions relative 70
the control Of drug addiction. sooner or
later become acrimonious disputes be-
tween medical men as to the merits of
their respective treatment. In this way
the doctors have Internationally befud
died the real issue. which is not treat
ment, but the prevention OF drug abdic-
ton. Drug addiction will never be eradi-
Gated by treatment. Prevent the drug
addict from getting the STUFF and there
Will be no necessity 10 worry about
what kind Of treatment is the proper
one"