The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-30
WORLD CONTROL OF OPIUM.

WOhLD SoTN
 Although the question of international control of the opium traffic may seem remote one to Americans, it is actually far from being such. It is reliably esti. mated that one per cent. of the people of the United States are more or less ad- Idicted to habit-forming drugs. Naturally those who now are less addicted will con- tinually become more so unless some pre- ventiye measures are taken in their in- dividual cases. The only ultimate solu- tion, however, is strict limitation of pro- duction to a point where only purely medicalsuses can be supplied. The total annuaESamount for medical requirements of the; entire world is very small, esti- mated by some at not more than twenty tons. With preventive medical practice on the increase and substitute anodynes of non4habit-forming nature coming into more general use, that amount should annually become smaller.
 The present extent of the demand for opium and it's deadly derivitives is de- |liberately developed and maintained by subtle processes of creating the habit among a constant new succession of vic- tins. No more diabolical program was ever conceived and carried out than this one of turing unwary persons into the re- lentless grip of the desire for drugs and dope The use of drugs gradually under mines both the health and the happiness of the addict. It destroys his life and yet condemns him to sentient death. His plight isr rendered all the more pitiable by his realization of his condition during his more lucid intervals. It is all the more regrettable in that the addict is usually the victim of influences outside of his own deliberate intent. His craving may be the unfortunate after-result of the medical administration of opiates dur ing some period of illness or pain; or it may have been indignantly implanted in him by agents of the opium traffic in spired by the desire for profit. In either case, strict control of the production and distribution of habit-forming drugs would make such cases fewer and of re- mote likelihood.
 The prohibition of opium and it's de- rivatives would not be attended by such difficulties as assail the enforcement of anti-liquor laws, for public sentiment ab- hors the very thought of such total and object enslavement. Where hundreds would deliberately seek out prohibited liquors, hundreds of thousands would as deliberately avoid and shun habit-form- ing drugs. There is only one purpose be- hind the non-medical opium traffic, and that purpose is human greed for wealth, no matter how despicably such wealth is come by. This greed for wealth is not only individual, but, sad to relate, it is also national. There are nations today that are reluctant to join in control of the opium industry because they regret the revenues they will thus lose. To be sure, such view is shortsighted, as it is far more profitable for any nation to have it's citizens free than enslaved, no matter what form that slavery may take. Japan and England are among the nations that are stressing the loss of revenues. China, the seat of opium culture is most anxious to be rid of it.
 Fortunately, the subject of worldwide control and limitation of the opium in- dustry is no longer in an academic status The representatives of the nations are now meeting to discuss and formulate a working agreement to remove the opium curse from the people of the world. Eng fish spokesmen are among the foremost, second only to those of the United States, in advocating the measure, in spite of certain British interests that place reve. nue before human welfare. Most other nations are in accord with the program Japan will be obliged to come in, through very necessity of preserving her standing among the nations. Opium is so potent and so easily transported in small but destructive quantities that it must be con trolled at the source. It is believed that such control is now only matter of de. Liberation, agreement and ratification When that is accomplished, the United States will have rescued standing mil lion or more of it's citizens from this malignant influence. That will be wortf while.
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