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

454ation is becoming aware of the problem. Committee after committeeis becoming aware.Mr. Rangel. Is there any disease, any ailment of a national import,that is being treated like this by the U.S. Government, in sucha ha])hazard, ])iecemeal way?Dr. Brown. I do not feel I can answer that question. I think thisparticular ailment, to use your term, Mr. Rangel, is not the sameailment, as much as we say it is a disease, as, say, cancer, complexas it is.Mr. Rangel. One of the major factors why it is not is becausethe larger number of the group historically has been at the lowereconomic level.Dr. Brown. Exactly, and that is exactly the ])oint I was going tomake, that this is an "ailment" that has to do with different culturalgroups, different economic groups, different racial groups. As it hasbecome more prevalent, the ailment, as I say, of drug abuse has beenmoving into middle class and higher socioeconomic areas, we havebegun to see a response and I have often said that this particularsituation, when it was limited to the inner cities, to the ghettos, tothe blacks and the chicanos, was not getting adequate attention. Infact, we are getting an interesting development, I think, which maybe the right response for the wrong reason, but nevertheless, as the"ailment," the drug abuse problem, has become more prevalentand epidemic, we may see assistance, help, community treatment,clinics and research for the most harmed group, the inner city residentand the blacks, if you follow the reasoning.Mr. Rangel. We are begging direction from your particularprofession and I do not know whether it is proper to suggest that wego into executive session because I do not recognize the sensitivityand politics that are involved here but there is no question in my mindthat we will be coming to you, or I personally from time to time, forrecommendations as to how the Nation's i)opulation best could beserved and in that direction, I might say that with the return of thefighting men from Vietnam coming home addicted, and some of thepeople being mugged, I agree with you, we should expect a lot ofsu])port from Congress and other sectors of the country.Chairman Pepper. Mr. Brasco.Mr. Brasco. Dr. Brown, I think that while we are talking aboutwhat further research and developments can be had in the future, Iwould like to discuss, as my colleague Mr. Rangel discussed, some ofthe immediate problems.I do not ])rofess to be a great expert in the area but there are somethings that bother me. T am an attorney by occupation and I ]->racticedcriminal law for some 10 years, 5 with legal aid society and then 5 inthe district attorney's office in Brooklyn, N.Y., so that I have had anop|)ortunity to become familiar with the problem.T have seen ])eoi)le for a number of years go to Lexington and comeback. I have seen people go to Fort Worth, Tex., and come back, allin a revolving-door setting. T liave seen people go to Synanon, DayTop, Phoenix House, your drug-free environments, and all come back.However, I have been getting a number of peoi)le in my area thathave been asking to become involved in the methadone program and Ithink that one of the things that we have to recognize in dealing with