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

—673Brill stated that on a scale of 1 to 10, with codeine at 10, lie would rate theknown cough-suppressant substitutes lor codeine at 2 or 3. Although not questionedon the subject. Dr. Eddy, who also appeared before this committee inApril, has written that "codeine serves a need which is not presently met byother substances." ^Rather than burden the text of this statement with additional expressions byexperts in this field, we have noted several in the appendix. These views indicatethat codeine is generally recognized by medical authorities as superior for bothanalgesic and antitussive uses to the variety of synthetics presently available.To ban its use, therefore, would result in a rergrettable lowering of the qualityof medical care throughout the United States.The American people should not be deprived of these valuable medicines unlessit can be clearly demonstrated that, by doing so, they are making a positivecontribution to the heroin addiction problem. Such, as we will now show, is notthe case.III. A ban on the importation of opium into the United States will not lead toa universal ban on opium cultivation and will impede current control efforts.The second premise underlying the proposal to ban opium imports focuses on theissue of control, rather than the question of medical utility. The hypothesis isthat the United States can act as a world leader by prohibiting the importationof opium, with the result that other nations will act accordingly. Ultimately,it is theorized, the legal cultivation of the poppy will be eliminated, and therebyfacilitate the eradication of illicit production qs well.The chain of logic breaks at the first link, however, for there is no likelihoodthat this initial step will culminate in multilateral action. It must be rememberedthat the United States first sought and failed to obtain international support forthe elimination of legitimate poppy production and purchases 10 years ago. Onceagain, in October of 1970, this proposal failed at the Geneva meeting of the InternationalCommission on Narcotic Drugs.We are unlikely to witness a change of heart by other countries importingopium and its derivatives. Quite the contrary, in the 20 years between 1950and 1969, world consumption of medicinal codeine has increased from 51,823kilograms to 142,903 kilograms.* It is thus apparent that there is no intent abroadto stem the legitimate flow of narcotic drugs or to impose restraints upon theaccessibility of these valuable substances for medical treatment. The growingconcern about problems of the illicit narcotic traflic in other countries has focusedinternational efforts on positive programs, including training of law enforcementofficers, education, crop substitution and the rehabilitation and social reintegrationof drug addicts.'' No suggestion has ever been endorsed by the InternationalCommission to eliminate legitimate sales or usages of narcotic drags as partof this programMoreover, the maintenance of a legitimate channel for opium production hasproved to be a highly useful mechanism for controlling opium cultivation. Forexample, the techniques employed by the Indian Government, based upon a licensingand quota system with incentives for compliance, are premised upon theexistence of a legitimate channel for official sales. Indian officials purchase the entireopium crop of licensed farmers annually, at a fixed rate, adjusted accordingto the farmer's yield, and sell the supplies for medicinal and scientific uses. Byproviding an outlet at reasonably high prices, without criminal risks, the Governmentof India has thus successfully ended diversion from licensed fields.* Werethis outlet jeopardized, the essence of the Indian control system would bethreatened.Today, U.S. purchases of legitimate opium supplies amount to about 20 percentof the total legal world production. Such a proportion is not large enough to altermaterially the planting schedules on either Indian or Turkish farms. This excessopium would inevitably become available to the illegal traffickers, swelling theblack markets with as much as 20,000 kilograms of heroin annually. The proposedunilateral ban by the United States may thus simply divert opium derivativesfrom our hospitals to our streets.^Eddy, Nathan B., M.D., "Codeine and Its Alternates for Pain and Cough Relief" 40Bulletin of the World Health Organization 723 (1969)."TJ.N. International Control Board. "Statistics on Narcotic Drugs."" U.N. Commission on Narcotic Drugs. "Suggestions for Short-Term and Long-TermMeasures Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking," E/cn. 7/530, at S-11 (1970).* Id. at 4. See also Murphy and Steele, note 1 supra, at 32.