Evening star., 1934-12-10
The Nationwide Drug Evil.

ihe NStlon-Wlde Drug EVIL.
Both as an evil in itself and as q
eausative OF other evils the trsfic In
narcotics has become one Of the
gravest menaces to social stability in
this country. 1t affects the moral
and physical health Of those addicted
to the drug habit and 1t leads to all
forms of dishonesty in the mainte-
nance of the business of purveying
the materials. BY pernicious Sc
auence those who are engaged in the
traffic seek to enlarge the field by
corrupting the young. Themselves In
most cases addicted to the Use Of
drugs, the vendors ply their trade
without conscience or restraint to gain
means to secure the materials which
In their depraved condition they crave
To break this vicious circle of COM
bined cause and effect Is a task OF
great magnitude. Beginning on Satllr-
day, in q series OF raids conducted
in many States, the Federal Govern
ment has undertaken to make head
way against the drug traffic. The laws
under which 1t is empowered to act
are not adequate. They are based on
the Governments taxing powers. The
Harrison narcotics act, of long stand
ing, forbids the sale Of drugs on which
taxes have not been paid. and 1t is
under this act that the arrests made
Saturday, numbering 765. and the
seizure of drugs valued at large
sum were effected. The need OF
broader enactment, covering various
phases of the traffic, is evident. The
hope is that this lack will be rem
edied by early legislation. The raids
Just conducted clearly show that this
is necessary If headway is to be made
against this evil trafic.
No dependable estimate can be
made of the cost to the country due
to the narcotics traffic, IN terms OF
bad health, loss of productive power.
waste of money, the provoestion OF
crime and social Generalization. Yet
it is known to be enormous. When
It is revealed, as has been done from
time to time In the course of occa-
sional investigations, that the peddlers
of the most dangerous of the habit
forming drugs seek their market in
the very schools. thus corrupting the
youth of the land, the magnitude of
this evil is realized.
Next March q Federal institution
for the treatment of drug addicts
will be opened at Lexington, Va,
where those just arrested may be sent
in the hope OF their rehabilitation.
But the cure of all of these people will
not alone solve the problem. In the
first place, those just taken in the
net are only a small percentage Of
the unfortunates. Indeed the pris-
oners now held are peddlers and pro-
moters Of the traffic and few of them
are merely the victims. The prob
lem Is whether 10 attack the evil
from the promotion or the consuming
end. Doubtless the former is the
more important.
But, in any case, whatever becomes
Of those now taken in the coils of the
law, the fight must be carried fur
ther, with strengthening and broad
ening of the law that will put drug
trading directly in the category Of
other crimes, specifically and not by
the indirection OF evasion of taxes.
The efficiency of the Federal service
in this field has been demonstrated.
With these raids as examples of what
can be done and as a demonstration
Of the widespread and highly organ
lied traffic, the enactment of new leg
islation that will make punishment
more certain and more severe should
be assured.