Imperial Valley press., 1924-02-14
THE CHASTITY DRUG MENACE


II there be any in our midst who inclined to
minimize the menace of the dope habit shrug their
shoulders with indifference over the purported raw
ages of the evil they would Go WE'LL to visit our local
county jail if they seek conclusive proof. Pitiful
wrecks OF humanity, whose sole and only intent ii life
IS to get hold OF the deadly drug that for time
their tortured brains and wornout bodies huddled
together in desparing condition that bcggars descrip
ton.
These men present such pitiful sight that mere
words fail to picture their awful plight or utter de-
graduation Some of them carry arms mass of
purefyng sores where the hypodermc needle has done
its deadly work others seized with covulsons at
moments notice and sill others seek selfdestructon
the moment careful watch is relaxed
And once these were outstanding with bright
and keen minds looking life squarely in the face
and building dreams for the future The only relief
that awaits most of them now is death
Do not feel that the refined home of culture and
intelligence IS immune from the farreachlng tentacles
of this Shiny monster. Underworld hauns do not yield
up the majority of drug cases by any means. Many
of the most hopeless addicts from the higher
ranks of society Several of the II drug-toTtufed
fortunates confined in the county jail were form
erly men OF prominence in their respective commun-
ties
Even the students OF our schools are not immune
In cities and villages all this fair land human
wolves in sleeps clothing planning, while
this is being written, the destruction of countless nno
cent girls and boys. Richmond P. HobsOn, former Of
ficer in the United States navy, who is deVoting
hs entire time and energy to fighting the dope traffic
recently declared in Los Angeles that in one borough
in New York City alone there 1900 heroin addcts
~nong the school children.
This is overwhelming revelation and that
deserves serious consideration by educators and par
ents alike. Mr. Hobson has spent years collecting data
the drug situation and knows whereof he speaks.
He further makes the statement that there
100000 adQicts in the United States today and that
the number IS increasing at appalling rate He has
just pettoned the city council of Los Angeles for
5000 appropriation and will ask the county supervs
for like amount to pay for the cost of printing
folders setting forth the evils of narcotics and intended
for distribution in every honlen Los Angeles county.
Education is the only of combating this
terrible scourge that has gained such alarming head
way al our country Dissemination of informa-
ton through the pulpit the school the press,
mems and wonen's organizations the ParentTeachers
Associations-a crying aloud from the hOusetops, is
imperative to bring home the truth clearly and definite
y that here is seemingly harmless habit that turns
into cruel driving monster whose end is death and
moral oblivion.
The fact the only few miles from the
border where traffic in drugs is particularly active
should keep keenly alert in this matter. 1t is mat
ter of knowledge that most OF the drugs used
in Southern California cevery slipped across the
Mexican border and that the traffic is highly
ganzed that it defies the law and challenges detection
Relentless vigilance the part of every and wo
man is necessary to keep this dreadful blight from
undermining the moral and physical fiber of our vari
Gus communities