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

583Some of the results of this study tell us rather significant things about drugabuse today.For one thing, the primary drugs of abuse are psychotropic substances. Theusers include top corporate executives, middle mangament, clerks, salesmen,white- and blue-collar workers, housewives, as well as young people.We have defined a major problem of drug abuse in industry, at all levels ofwork, including a significant percentage of employees who abuse drugs whileactually on the job.In one study of the students in a suburban ninth grade class, boys and girlsapproximately age 15, we found that 27 percent had used either drugs or drugscombined with alcohol, and another 24 percent reported using alcohol only.Approximately 10 percent of the student body had experimented with gluesnifiing. 7 percent with stimulants, 5 percent with methamphetamines, 5 percentwith barbiturates, 8 percent with codeine, 4 percent with opium or its derivatives,3 percent with tranquilizers, 15 percent with marihuana, 8 percent with hashish,5 percent with mescaline, 5 percent with LSD, and 4 percent with cocaine.If you note that these percentages exceed 27 percent you will find corroborationfor our earlier statement concerning multiple drug abuse.An examination of the case records of your hospital at Lexington, Ky., providesfurther corroboration. In 1944 only 8 percent of the admitted heroinaddicts concurrently abused barbiturates, while only 1 percent were concurrentlyaddicted to barbiturates. In 1948, the comparable percentages were 17 and 5percent ; in 1957 they were 39 and 18 percent. A followup study in 1966 showedthat 54 percent were concurrently abusing barbiturates while 35 percent weresimultaneously addicted.Another recent study by our research division shows that it is not uncommonfor today's user to consume as many as 15 to 25 different substances. Obviously,one reason for this is availability. But there is another significant factor. Of themany lessons to be learned from this research, we must recognize that the multipledrug abuser, who has been evolving for perhaps a decade, becomes involved in theconcurrent use and abuse of this variety of chemical substances because he wantsto receive a specific effect and reaction from each. For too long we have focusedour research, our concentration, our publications and our treatment programson what drugs do to an individual. If we are to relate to today's drug abuser,from experimenter to addict, and especially the multiple drug abuser, we mustspeak in terms of what drugs do for him.Our studies show that only 7 percent of the t6tal offenses committed by onestudy group in a year's time involved crimes against the person. But 60 percentof the addicts interviewed had committed such crimes, a remarkable and disturbingincrease, by anyone's calculations.New Jersey officials say that only 18.6 percent of the total number of personsarrested iia one study period were drug users. But, 12 percent of the personssuspected of violent crimes were drug users.The apparent conclusion is that today's multidrug abuser commits crimes ofopportunity, with an increased willingness to commit violent crime.Director John Ingersoll, of the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs,estimated earlier this month that the total drain on the national economy causedby heroin is as high as $3.5 billion, including the cost of crime committed andthe law enforcement costs.The Urban Center of Columbia University said in an April 1971 report thatthe cost of narcotics-related crime in Harlem alone runs as high as $1.8 billion,exclusive of the costs of law enforcement and crime prevention.I do not suggest that these figures are contradictory. I do suggest that theyconstitute a virtual mandate upon the Federal Government reexamine itspriorities, particularly since traditional cost of crime estimates fail to includethe other incalculable losses suffered by the victims of violent crime. We mustadd a new dimension to our calculations of the cost of crime, recognizing thatthe victim of an assault quite often loses not only his property but sometimes alsohis life, his capacity to earn, and suffers the costs of hospital and medical care.In New York State, aside from treating the addict, we also recognize our responsibilityto the innocent victims, not only of the addict but of other criminalsas well. In the current fiscal year. New York has appropriated $2.2 million tocompensate such victims of crime.Comparison of Federal effort with Neiv York StateI think it may be useful to compare existing Federal and State programs, notto belittle your efforts, gentlemen, but hopefully to demonstrate what can be-