Evening star., 1951-08-31


It is believed that if Congresse fos
tiers the establishment of such al
organization. funds from private
foundations or philanthropisti
can be obtained to give it perma,
nent life.
This report contained a recon.
mendation for establishment of al
organization of this character.
B. NARCOTICS.
!. The illegal sale of narcoti,
drugs represents an evil of maiol
proportions. requiring for its Grad.
ication the combined efforts o.
law enforcement bodies. legis.
1ators. educators and parents. L
should be attacked at all levels oi
the Nations social structure. Il
not successfully overcome in the
near future. it may do lasting
damage to the youth of the Ma
tion.
2. The organized gangSter syn
dicates will unquestionably turn
to the sale of narcotic drugs when
they are driven out Of the pres
emily lucrative field of gambling
AS they did at the end of the
prohibition era, when bootlegging
no longer offered substantial
profits, they will turn to another
form of illegal activity. Under
present conditions narcotic drugs
offer them the most profitable
opening. Their proteStations that
they would not stoop so low are
hollow in the light of the recent
arrest Of Waxey Gordon in New
York City on narcotics charge.
8. There has been a startling in.
crease in the abuse of drugs by
young people, many of whom are
unaware of it's frightful conse-
quences. They fail to realize that
they are dealing with what is. in
effect, a contagious disease which
brings degradation and slow death
to the victim and tragedy to his
family and friends.
Mystery Surrounds Drugs.
4. There has been q tendency tC
shroud the subject of drug addic-
ton in veil of secrecy. The result
is that young people learn about
drugs from bad associates or from
the drug peddlers in the bacl
streets and alleys, rather thar
from qualified sources Of informa.
tion. 1t is for this reason tha
many young people have trieG
drugs, innocently unaware of tn,
dangers they face.
5. Addiction is extremely difi,
cult to cure. It is q chronic condi
ton with a high rate of recur.
renee. II discovered in time, addic
tion may be prevented, but ono,
it occurs the victim can overcom,
it only through a painful and be-
wildering perplexity of treatmen
entailing difficult physical ant
psychological readjustment.
8. Members of the public gen
orally are not aware of the fac
that voluntary noncriminal pa
tientS may be treated at tn,
United States Public Health Serv.
ice Hospital at Lexington, KY, ans
that patients who cannot atforc
to pay are treated without charge
z. The United States Public
Health Service hospitals at Lex.
ington, KY, and at Fort Worth
Tex. do not have sufficient facili.
ties for caring for all of the womer
patients in need of treatment
Furthermore, there is not suf.
ficient segregation of young pa.
tients from older. hardened ad.
diets. There is considerable danger
that youngsters going to these in.
stitutions for the first time ar.
retarded in their recovery by
mingling with the older addicts.
Hospital Treatment Available.
II the public should become
fully aware of the availability OF
these hospitals for voluntary pa.
tients. it is entirely possible thai
the demands upon them will in
crease materially. In that event
additional Federal facilities may
be required.
At the State level, the facilities
for treatment appear to be wholly
inadequate.
8. The illegal sale of narcotic
drugs pays enormous profits to ths
lowest form of criminal, namely
the peddler who is willing tc
wreck young lives to satisfy his
greed No penalty is too severe for
a criminal Of such character
Until recently the courts have
been far too lenient toward mar
cotic violatorS. Short sentences
do not deter the potential peddlel
and suspended sentences are &
waste of judicial effort.
Q. The drug representing the
greatest, problem is heroin, the
importation and possession OF
which are forbidden in the United
States. All Of the heroin now used
in this country is smuggled in
from abroad, for the most part
by passengers and Seamen carry
ing it off ships on their persons
Because of the ease of conceal
ment, checking its flow through
customs search is extremely diff
cult. Present practices and proce.
dures for canceling the sailing
papers of seamen convicted OF
narcotics violations are unsatis-
factory.
Bureau Undermined.
10. The most effective means oi
combating the narcotics problem
is through effective enforcement
facilities. The narcotics bureau o.
the Treasury Department is ef.
ficient and effective as far as II
Is able to go, but it is pitifully
undermanned considering the
enormity of the task assigned tt
it. With sufficient personnel, thu
narcotics bureau could do more