Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-23
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

| respective territories the manufac-
ture apd sale of narcotics. as agreed
| to at the conference.
The departments statement con-
| tains the declaration that our Con-
| gress promptly proceeded to carry
| out its obligations:
1.-THE question of domestic produc-
| ton and traffic in drugs was dealt
with by the act of December II, 1914,
| amended by sections 1905 and 1907 of
| the revenue act of 1918, and by Sec
| ton 703 of the revenue act of 1926.
This act gives the Government of the
United States control within the ter
| ritory over which it has jurisdiction.
Importations are by this law
restricted to crude opium and coca
| leaves, and are limited to such guam
titles thereof as are considered neces-
sary by the Federal Narcotics Con-
| troll Board, for legitimate and medical
uses only.
THE fact that large quantities of
| the products of factories of other
countries constantly reach it's ports,
in the hands of smugglers, brings the
| conviction that the quantity Of such
| Illicit drugs might be much reduced,
| If stricter control over the operation
of those factories could be exercised.
AS step in this direction, control
| which would provide an accurate pub
| lie record of manufacture and sales,
showing exactly to whom sales are
made, would be very helpful" says
| the State Department.
Since our law forbids any importa-
| ton Of manufactured opiates, records
| in all countries which would trace the
destination of all their manufactured
narcotics would be invaluable-if the
countries will cooperate with us.
Does international good will go that
| far?
| There appears to be widespread
| error in the public's conception Of the
| influences which in times past have
| created addicts. All legislation regard
| ing the control of narcotics has been
enacted since 1897. The same authori-
| ties who estimate the number of .ad-
diets today at 100000 believe that
prior to restriction there were about
| 264.000 addicts, including $4,000 CO.
| caine victims.
In pamphlet by DR.. Lawrence
Kolb and Pharmacologist A. G.. Du
Mez, United States Public Health
| Service, appears this summing up:
| 1.-THE opium produced in the coun-
| tries of the East and Far East is
practically all low-grade opium,
known as eating and smoking opium,
and is consumed in it's entirety in the
| countries of the Far East. II we sub
tract the quantity (6,461 $40 pounds)
| produced in these countries from the
| total produced in the world in 1922,
| there remains only l ,415,092 pounds
available for medicinal purposes and
for addicts who use opium in the form
| of it's alkaloids and their derivatives,
/ principally morphine and heroin. This
quantity Il, 415.752 pounds) is equiva-
lent to 1,23S,783,000 grains of NOR
| phine sulphate. computed on the basis
| that opium contains 10 per cent of
anhydrous morphine and that one
part of the latter will make 1.25 parts
of morphine sulphate. The average
addict consumes about 6 grains of
F.; morphine sulphate per day, or 2,190
! total annual production of opium, ex-
elusive of that produced in the coun-
| tries of the Far East, If used entirely
for the satisfaction of addiction,
would supply only $4,000 addicts."
| Note that the supply of the entire
world, even If none was used in
medicine, Is enough for only $4,000
addicts in all the world, and the
extremists are telling us that we
already have 100000 In the United
| States alone! The authorities con-
denim such figures as mere sensa-
| tional guesses.
! X * X X
/ There has been a great evolution
in the practice of medicine, as re-
| CARDS the prescribing Of narcotics,
just as there has been in regard to
alcoholic prescriptions.
The same authorities of the u. S.
| Health Department, above quoted,
say:
| Among the influences which have
tended To lessen addiction NAV he