Report on drug addiction - Reprinted from the bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine 1955; 31 (8): 592-607

Under date of January 14, 1955, there was presented to the Senate of the Un ited States by Senator Frederick G. Payne, Republican, of Maine, a joint re solution "to provide for a more effective control of narcotic drugs, and fo r other purposes." Co-sponsoring the Resolution with Senator Payne were for ty-two other Senators from all areas of the Nation and from all political p arties, including Independent Senator Wayne Morse of Oregon. The Interdepartmental Committee consisting of representatives from the Depa rtment of State, Department of the Treasury, Department of Defense, Departm ent of Health, Education and Welfare, and the Department of Justice request ed the Committee on Public Health of The New York Academy of Medicine to st udy this bill and submit a report. By the time the Subcommittee on Drug Add iction of the Committee on Public Health had an opportunity to convene it w as informed that the narcotics bill had nor come out of committee. However, representatives of the Interdepartmental Committee requested that the Comm ittee on Public Health consider the narcotics problem and propose measures for suitable legislation. Today a number of cities are raising a hue and cry of apprehension and alar m over drug addiction. Charges and claims about it appear in the headlines, coupled with demands for action of the usual kind: crackdown by the enforc ement officials. Presently it is linked with the larger problem of juvenile delinquency as one of its most serious components. Before attempting to ap praise the existing situation, it is helpful to look at the legal provision s and administrative bodies designed to control narcotic traffic and addict ion.