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65
Middle East countries who have had more that 2,000 years experience
of the effects of this drug and who claim that its use is an
important contributory factor in the poverty, squalor and ignorance
from which many of their people suffer. The Sub-Committee
discounted these reports as not being relevant to the problem in
Western societies.
However, the W.H.O's. Expert Committee's 16th Report
recently published states that it "strongly reaffirms the opinions
expressed in previous reports that cannabis is a drug of dependence,
producing public health and social problems, and that its
control must be continued". Until the situation becomes clearer,
this seems the sensible thing to do.
Acquisition of dangerous drugs in this country is still all too
easy and stricter control of their manufacture and distribution is
warranted. Convictions for drug offences in 1966 were 1,397 but
the current year has seen an almost threefold increase and the
seizures of large quantities of drugs during 1968 were well above
previous records.
Special units, which most experts agree are essential for the
treatment and rehabilitation of addicts, must be established and
strategically sited but, unfortunately, this is almost certain to lead
to public and perhaps official opposition in the areas chosen.
Section 12 of the Health Services and Public Health Act, 1968,
provides that a local authority, as part of its duty regarding the
prevention of illness, may (and, indeed, can be so directed by the
Minister) provide residential accommodation for the care of those
who are ill or at risk of becoming ill and for the after-care of such
persons.
These provisions apply to drug addicts and, quite apart from
the requirements of the individual patient, local authorities have
a particular interest from the point of view of protecting
community life.
Greatest risks arise from the activities of addicts who are not
receiving treatment and/or after-care because these will be the
people who will encourage the spread of addiction both by
example and in their efforts to obtain money by small scale
peddling.
In the Ministry of Health Circular 21/67 there was an attempt
to determine the responsibilities of the Hospital Services and Local
Authorities with regard to the provision of accommodation for
out-patients and for rehabilitation and after-care. Closer collaboration
between various bodies, both statutory and voluntary, was
also urged in respect of social support and placement of addicts
into families.