DRUG HABITS. Recent investigations of the United States Department of Agriculture show conclusively a constantly decreasing use of injurious drugs (exclusive of alcohol and tobacco) among the people of this country. Be fore any means were available for gathering authoritative figures, the estimates of the num ber of drug habitués in the United States ranged as high as 4,000,000. But the report of the Food and Drugs Commissioner of Tennes see on the first year's (1913-14) operation of that State's anti-narcotic law provided definite statistics, which have been accepted by the Government's experts as a fair basis for a close estimate. Applying to the whole country the ratios gained in the Tennessee records, the total number of drug addicts in the United States would be about 118,000. A check upon these figures is supplied in the amount of habit forming drugs imported into the United States. The Bureau of Chemistry points out that if nine-tenths of all the opium imported into the country were consumed by addicts at the rate of the Tennessee consumption, the number of such users would be 187,000. The same Bureau estimates that all of the importation of cocaine is consumed by addicts at the rate of one ounce per person per year, and that the 150,000 ounces imported annually indicate 150, 000 users. This estimate is combated by hos pital physicians who declare that many cocaine eaters and snuffers consume as much as 15 ounces annually. The American Pharmaceuti cal Association estimates that the total num ber of drug habitues (exclusive of those ad dicted to alcohol and tobacco) in the United States in 1914 did not exceed 200,000.
Of the whole number of drug users those addicted to morphine amount to 37.6 per cent; to cocaine, 26.7 per cent; to laudanum, 1&8 per cent; to heroin, 4.4 per cent; to gum opium, 22 per cent; and those who have both mor phine and cocaine habits, 10.3 per cent. Fur ther official investigation as to the origin of drug habits show that 54.6 per cent had their beginnings in physicians' prescriptions; 21.6 per cent in the advice or persuasion of drug-using acquaintances; 21.6 per cent as a result of dissi pation; 2.4 per cent in the desire to escape suf fering in incurable diseases.
The drugs used by victims of drug habits are of two general groups: (1) sedatives, and (2) stimulants. The first group includes the soporifics, such as chloral, sulphonal, veronal, etc., and the analgesics and anesthetics, such
as opium, cocaine, cannabis Indica (Indian hemp or hasheesh), etc., and the headache-pow der constituents, phenacetine, acetanilid, anti pyrine and its derivatives, bromopyrine, sali pyrine, etc., and antifebrin and its derivatives, phenalgin and exalgin. The second group in cludes alcohol, tea, coffee, tobacco, etc. In the second class should be included also opium in doses of a certain small quantity relative to the degree of habituation, in which it is highly stimulating. This is true also of the delirium produced by Indian hemp. Coca and cocaine are stimulants in small doses, which, however, speedily require to be made larger. It is for this reason largely that the cocaine habit is regarded as the most insidious and dangerous. The effect of the drug soon passes off, and re peated as well as larger doses are sought by the victim. A debased mental condition follows the brief exhilaration, and a tendency to suicide is developed.
Tea, coffee, cocoa, kola, mate, guarana, etc., depend for their attraction upon their active principles, caffeine, theobromine, or theophyl lin. The effect of these drugs is similar to that of cocaine, though in a much less degree. They all develop neurotic tendencies in the users. In most cases the system becomes tolerant of the drug, and, the effects being cumulative, the eventual breakdown is sudden.
The foundation of drug habits is very often laid with soothing syrups given to babies. These have been found to contain opium, mor phine, heroin, codeine, chloroform, chloral hy drate, and cannabis. The habits thus begun are nurtured with patent medicines. Asthma reme dies contain practically the same series of drugs as the soothing syrups, with the addition some times of tobacco. Catarrh cures are largely cocaine, either in powder to be used as a snuff, or in liquid form as a spray. Remedies for coughs and colds contain chloroform, heroin, morphine, codeine, cannabis, and ether. Head ache remedies consist of acetanilid, acetphenet idin, antipyrine, caffeine, etc., in various com binations. Epilepsy cures are chiefly bromides, with morphine or opium. Many tobacco-habit cures contain cocaine, and, indeed, almost all of the cures offered for the various drug habits have proved to be preparations of the same drug to which the habitué was addicted.