Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-23
Sleeping Pill Addicts
Pose Control Problem
z Georgetown U. Doctors
Point to Dongers in Drug
By Thomos R. Henry

There are at least $4,000 barbiturate
addicts in the United States.
They are the folks who have formed
an unbreakable habit of taking the
barbital type of sleeping powders.
Added to them are far greater num-
Der of those who take the drugs quite
regularly. Thus the country may be
faced with another major drug problem.
This is the conclusion of Drs. Theo-
dore Koppanyi and Joseph F. Fazekas
of Georgetown University. In the past,
they say, the habit-forming properties
of barbiturates have not been fully
recognized and they may have been
prescribed indiscriminately by physi-
clans.
"In contrast to the satisfied opium
addict" the two report, 'the satisfied
barbiturate addict is usually more dis
oriented and physically and mentally
less competent. He is often drowsy
and confused. He may have emotional
disturbances, occasionally severe de-
preston and in few cases infantilism
and paranoid ideas.
Could Be Public Hazard
1.-THE barbiturate addict, and to some
. extent the habitue, not only is accident
prone but constitutes a public hazard
much the same as a chronic alcoholic.
Probably the greatest danger is the
possibility of acute poisoning when adj
diets miscalculate their daily require
ment. They do not develop tolerance
to the usual fatal dose. They may be
amnesic and not remember the amount
they have taken. In addition, many
individuals consider barbiturateS an
ideal suicide agent. 1t has been es-
timated that more than one out Of
each 1000 hospital admissions is for
acute barbiturate intoxication."
Despite the danger, Dr.. Koppanyi
says, there is an indispensable place for
barbiturates in medicine. To determine
the kinds of cases in which they are
being used, QUESTIONABLE was sent to
the medical schools of leading United
States and Canadian universities The
replies indicate that they are being
used to treat various sorts of nervous
excitement for which there is no
specific treatment, but sometimes with
out good reason.
In view of the dangers the two SCI
entists urge that the drugs be prescribed
in the smallest doses possible, only on a
short term basis, and only when there
is no other known treatment which
could be equally effective. Ref1lling Of
prescriptions, they insist, should be
controlled rigidly because it is not diff
ficult to hoard sufficient amounts for
suicide.
New Control Seen Needed
But, they say, control must rest very
largely in the hands of physicians and
pharmacists Additional Federal laws
would merely mean that the manufac-
ture and sale of barbiturates would be
driven underground and the number Of
surreptitious peddlers would be in
creased.
This underground traffic, they be-
lieve could not be handled by the pres
ent narcotic agencies Of the Govern
ment but would require an entirely
new agency with a large staff of en-
forcement officers maintained at high
expense and probably the only result
would be more barbiturate suicides.
The Georgetown doctors warn espe-
cially against use of these sleeping po-
tons together with alcohol. Each tends
to enhance the effect of the other
Barbiturate addicts. they stress. re-
quire special treatments. The with
drawal symptoms are very much like
those OF alcohol withdrawal.