Narcotics research, rehabilitation, and treatment. Hearings, Ninety ...

::11quota production from unrecognized countries? The second aspect,would it be possible to control illicit production or snuiggling of syntheticswhen it is currently impossible to control heroin ?The answer to these two questions is clearly in thenegative withoutinternational cooperation, a most uncertain probability in view of thestrong economic factors involved. May I remind you that the 10th:session of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations in1956 came within one vote of adopting a resolution which would haveprohibited the production of synthetic narcotics. This action was ofsuch great concern to Commissioner Anslinger that he asked me towrite a paper on the subject. This paper was entitled "Medical Perspectiveson International Control of Synthetic Narcotics." This articleraised the ire of representatives of the producing and manufacturingnations, especially France, Turkey, Yugoslavia, and India. Theyobjected to many of the statements made in this article and for manyreasons but especially the followingOn the contrary, the scientific and medical advances in the synthetic and narcoticfield have been so rapid that even today very few natural products are indispensableto the public health. The evidence in favor of the "synthetics" is soimpressive when subjected to comparative analysis that the author is temptedto predict that the day is not far distant when the Commission will be confrontedwith resolutions which would propose to abolish forever the cultivation andproduction of all "horticulturally derived" narcotics.Probably you have heard the following statistics but to refresh yourminds: 163 tons of morphine were manufactured legally in 1969. Approximately90 percent of this was converted into codeine. Codeine,although present naturally in opium, is present in such small amountsthat it is not commercially practical to obtain codeine without convertingit from morphine.This quantity of morphine was produced from 1,219 tons of opiumproduction and 28.274 tons of poppy straw. This was the licit productionof opium. It is controlled by the International Control Boardof the United Nations. Almost three-fourths of the total, 864 tons, wasproduced by India. The second largest producer was the U.S.S.R., 217tons ; the third largest, Turkey, with a production of 117 tons, less thanone-tenth of the total. The combined production of Iran, Pakistan,Japan, and Yugoslavia was only 16.7 tons. If the assumption is correct,that most of the smuggled heroin which comes into the United Statesis derived from licit opium production, then it is clear that licit productiongreatly exceeds legitimate medical needs.The 1970 report of the International Narcotics Control Board of theUnited Nations which furnished the above figures also contained thefollowing statementYet if leakages from licit production could be virtually extinguished, smugglerswould still be able to have recourse to opium which is produced illegally or beyondGovernment control. There are now extensive areas of such productionand it is essential that, side by side with reinforcing monopoly controls overlicit production, major efforts should be made to eliminate poppy cultivation inthese areas. The regions chiefly involved are situated in Afghanistan, Burma,Laos, and Thailand ; and there is also some production in parts of LatinAmerica.Other questions must be dealt with. In my opinion, placing restrictionson natural narcotic analgesics would inspire massive resistanceby organized medicine and the allied professions. Having served on