The narcotic drug problemBishop, Ernest S. (Ernest Simons)
Science
The narcotic drug problem
Bishop, Ernest S. (Ernest Simons)
Drug addiction
It is the duty of the medical organizations to see to it that these
deserving purely medical problems and worthy sick people and their
honest medical advisers shall no longer than avoidable be permitted
to remain confused in the minds of the laity and of the medical
profession itself with the problems of regulation of “underground”
traffic and the control of the “underworld” addict. It is the duty of
the medical organizations also to see to it that in the public press
and elsewhere, and especially in their own scientific journals, the
acts of the occasional individual with medical degree who prostitutes
his medical standing and the aims and ideals of his profession in the
commercial exploitation of the drug addict are not presented in such
a way as to cause by inference or otherwise, their confusion with the
honest efforts of honest medical men who are engaged to the best of
their ability in the humane and ethical help of the deserving sufferer
from addiction-disease.
It is, furthermore, the duty of the medical organizations to see to it
that whatever laws and regulations are promulgated in the control of
criminal and unworthy shall not be framed or administered in such a
way as to unnecessarily jeopardize the reputation and liberties of the
honest practitioner and to interfere with his conscientious efforts to
care for his honest and innocent addiction-disease patients to such an
extent as makes that care impossible.
Legislation or administrative regulation which limits to responsible
and authorized persons possession and distribution of narcotic drugs
and which compels from such persons reasonable accounting for such
possession and distribution, is under conditions which have long
existed but only recently been sufficiently recognized necessary and
desirable. The Harrison Law was a definite response to an obvious
need, in its obvious intent and draughting a wise and unobjectionable
legislation. It provided for responsible possession and distribution
and it enforced an accounting for the same, but did not unwisely
restrict, in its text, nor hamper the legitimate possession and
honest therapeutic employment of narcotic drugs. From the medical
organizations and educational and scientific institutions should
be available scientific study and understanding of narcotic drug
addiction-disease available for the information of conscientious
executives and administrators, who must exercise their best judgment
in the light of available and prevailing teaching. It is the duty of
the medical organizations to see to it that available and prevailing
addiction-disease information and teaching is honest, unbiased and
competent.
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