CHAPTER 10 FEDERAL ANTI-NARCOTICS LEGISLATION 5. Ibid., P. 757. 6. Ibid., Appendix IV, pp. 962-63. 7. Ibid., p. 963. 8. Harry Campbell, "The Pathology <strong>and</strong> Treatment of Memphis <strong>Addiction</strong>," British Journal of Inebriety (1922-23), 20: 147. file:///I|/drugtext/local/library/books/adopiates/chapter10.htm[24-8-2010 14:23:32]
CHAPTER 11 THE EFFECTS OF WORLD WAR II file:///I|/drugtext/local/library/books/adopiates/chapter11.htm[24-8-2010 14:23:32] PART II Opiate <strong>Addiction</strong> as a Social Problem CHAPTER 11 THE EFFECTS OF WORLD WAR II Every major war in which the United States has engaged, beginning with the Civil War, has had considerable effect upon the narcotics problem. World War 11 was not an exception. The Civil War, by popularizing the use of the hypodermic needle in medical practice, <strong>and</strong> through the none too careful use of opiates for wounded soldiers <strong>and</strong> for those suffering from such diseases as dysentery, caused an increase in the number of addicts in the United States. The Spanish American War also bad a perceptible effect of the same kind but on a lesser scale. World War I again substantially increased the number of addicts, though by this time opiates were being h<strong>and</strong>led with greater prudence <strong>and</strong> the number of new addicts created by army medication was probably proportionately less than in earlier conflicts. The recent war has had two major effects. In the first place, by disrupting the channels of illegal distribution, it created a drastic shortage of drugs on the internal illicit market <strong>and</strong> thus reduced the spread of the habit in the civilian population, In the second place, the use of opiates with the army probably increased - the number of addicts in the armed forces <strong>and</strong> also added to the number of those who may be called potential addicts. Effects on the Illicit Traffic The war in Europe disrupted American connections with European sources of illegal drugs, but this was made tip for by an increased flow from the Far East. Government supervision of shipping <strong>and</strong> of foreign travel h<strong>and</strong>icapped the smuggler generally. From the point of view of the local addict, however, the situation became serious only after the beginning of the Pacific war, which cut off supplies from the Orient, particularly from Japan <strong>and</strong> from territories controlled by Japan. A drastic internal shortage then developed rapidly. Smuggling declined to a record low, illicit prices skyrocketed, <strong>and</strong> quality deteriorated sharply. Heroin of 1 or 2 per cent purity became common <strong>and</strong> was sold for as much as from $30 to $5o an ounce. Addicts experienced great difficulty in maintaining their habits <strong>and</strong> resorted to desperate stratagems <strong>and</strong> inferior substitutes. A considerable increase in pressure to divert larger quantities of drugs from legitimate to illegitimate channels was noticed. In some cities drugstores began to do a booming business in paregoric, which contains small quantities of opium. This entire picture is clearly portrayed in the annual reports of the Bureau of Narcotics during the war years. The bureau seized the opportunity presented by this situation to tighten its controls, <strong>and</strong> as a result the illicit traffic was reduced to a record low. The fact that the Axis controlled a number of the major sources of opium caused that drug to become a strategic item for the Allies. There was, of course, a greatly increased dem<strong>and</strong> for opiates because of the war, <strong>and</strong> supplies were short, not only on the illicit market but generally. The shortage on the illicit market is indicated by the fact that seizures in the internal trade declined 5o per cent, <strong>and</strong> that addicts <strong>and</strong> peddlers increasingly resorted to burglary, robbery, <strong>and</strong> forgery to obtain supplies.(1) The sharp rise in illicit prices <strong>and</strong> correspondingly increased profits apparently encouraged new producers of opium to enter the field to supply American users. The opium poppy can be cultivated in many parts of the world, <strong>and</strong> it would have been overoptimistic to suppose that new sources of supply would not have appeared to replace the old. During the war years Iran, India, <strong>and</strong> Mexico became the chief sources for illicit drugs that appeared on the American market. After the German submarine threat in the Atlantic had been brought under control, smugglers were able to reestablish connections with India <strong>and</strong> Iran <strong>and</strong> to step up importations from those countries to make up for supplies previously obtained from European countries <strong>and</strong> from Japan. Although Mexico prohibits the cultivation of the poppy, an increasing tendency is noted in the annual reports of the Bureau of Narcotics for opium of Mexican origin to find its way to American addicts. The Bureau of Narcotics reported in 1944 that there. was evidence that the acreage devoted to the cl<strong>and</strong>estine cultivation of the poppy in Mexico was being increased. If the war situation had continued it is probable that a new equilibrium of supply <strong>and</strong> dem<strong>and</strong> would eventually have been established, <strong>and</strong> that an increased volume of production in the countries named, <strong>and</strong> possibly in some other Central American countries, would have lowered illicit prices <strong>and</strong> improved the quality. The Mexican border <strong>and</strong> Southern <strong>and</strong> Atlantic ports became the focus
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