3. Requests Governments, in cases of important current seizures of opium in the international illicit traffic, to transmit samples to the Secretariat for physical and chemical investigation of origin; 4. Authorizes the Secretary-General to arrange for such investigation, and to report on them, and on the determination as to origin resulting therefrom, and from other available information, to the Government submitting the samples, and to the Governments of countries indicated in the reports as countries of origin; 5. Agrees that immediate steps should be taken for the establishment of a United Nations Narcotics Laboratory for opium research and that the laboratory should be situated in the same place as the Division of Narcotic Drugs; 6. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs statistics of the number of samples of seized opium referred for chemical and physical analyses in the calendar year ending on December 31 prior to the Commission's session, and the number of instances in which it was possible to determine the origin of opium by such analyses; 7. Points out that methods to determine the origin of opium by physical and chemical means must be based on opium authenticated by the Government of the country of origin as opium produced in that country, and that reference to the particular methods employed should be given when origin of a seizure is determined by such methods; 8. Recommends that the Secretary-General should request the experts who have previously co-operated in the experiments carried out in connexion with analyses for the purpose of determining the origin of opium to report for the information of the Commission by December 31, 1955, whether, in their estimation, the methods developed for the determination of the origin of opium by physical and chemical tests have reached a stage where the origin can in a substantial number of cases be determined by such tests with a reasonable degree of certainty. EXHIBIT No. 23 UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL COMMISSION ON NARCOTIC DRUGS (Tenth Session, May 11, 1955. Item 13 of the Agenda) DRAFT REPORT The Rapporteur has the honour to communicate herewith the text of certain paragraphs for the Commission's report to the Economic and Social Council. IX. ABUSE OF DRUGS (DRUG ADDICTION) 2 IX. 1. The Commission's discussion on drug addiction 1 manifested a general increase of awareness and interest in the social aspects of the problem. Studies undertaken in some countries had uncovered a high incidence of therapeutic abuse of narcotic drugs. It was clear that better statistics and more detailed information on national situations would be of great value to the Commission's work. The data on the distribution of addicts by age, sex, and occupation which which were now coming in, and which the Commission hoped to receive in increasing quantity in response to the revised form of annual reports, were capable of throwing much light on the incidence and causes of addiction, as well as indicating suitable remedial measures. IX. 2. Although drug addiction took different forms in different countries there were often common underlying basic causes. In countries undergoing rapid social and economic changes, for instance, the weaker personalities were under heavy strain and were potential victims of drug addiction, alcoholism, or mental illness, and from the sociological point of view useful insights could be gained by considering such factors together as well as in isolation. IX. 3. In considering the treatment of drug addicts, various approaches should also be considered. Not many countries had sufficient need or resources to justify 1 E/CN.7/SR.271, 272. 2 Denmark: Excerpts from the Report on the Abuse of Narcotic Substances; Addiction to Euphoric Drugs in Denmark, by Palle Wiingaard. the establishment of separate specialized institutions for the care and treatment of drug addicts, and the use of existing institutions such as mental hospitals and prisons to provide closed accommodation for treatment. Satisfactory therapeutic methods were available for the first stage of disintoxication or withdrawal and, where resources permitted, for a measure of psychiatric rehabilitation. This second stage might satisfactorily be carried out by simple group methods in the case of a large proportion of addicts. However, further emphasis might be put on a third stage, namely, the reintegration of the "ordinary" addict into the community as a means of combatting the high rate of recidivism which prevailed in many countries. It was hoped that investigations being currently carried out by some Governments would provide fuller data. It was noted that one result of an investigation presently being undertaken in Vancouver (Canada) had been to reaffirm the conclusion that the clinic or ambulatory system could not be considered satisfactory for the treatment of drug addicts; a subject which had been widely rediscussed in recent months in connexion with possible methods of treatment of drug addicts. It was felt that any method which maintained addiction also maintained a focus of infection. 3 IX. 4. Juvenile addiction was on the whole not felt to present a problem of gravity in many regions of the world. IX. 5. A study of the annual reports showed that an increasingly serious situation was developing in regard to the abuse of cannabis throughout the world, despite new measures taken in many countries to prohibit its production and use in therapeutics. Improved standards of living would, it was hoped, eradicate many factors tending to give rise to drug addiction. Much progress had also been achieved in India both in reducing the quasi-medical consumption of opium and cannabis and in controlling the use of narcotic drugs-a guiding principle in that country's new constitution was to bring about the prohibition of the consumption except for medicinal purposes of all drugs which are injurious to health. Two members of the Commission (U. S. S. R. and Poland) pointed out that owing to the social and economic conditions prevailing in their countries drug addiction was not a problem; cases of therapeutic addiction were treated by the regular health services. IX. 6. It was stated by the representative of China that drug addiction was still the greatest social evil in many parts of the world and in this connexion he drew attention to the large number of persons who obtained supplies in the Far East through illicit sources, which had become a weapon in the hands of Communist countries. The representative of the U. S. S. R. protested against the political motivation of this statement. IX. 7. Great concern was shown that the increasing therapeutic use of analgesics [including synthetics] might engender a parallel rise in the number of drug addicts. A study on pethidine addiction made for the World Health Organization showed an alarming extent of abuse of this substance by addicts and by the medical and paramedical professions. It was, however, pointed out that synthetic drugs in some instances possessed less addiction producing liabilities than some natural narcotics, although it was evident that their use should be regulated by the same precautions and national controls as all current or new drugs. It had to be remembered that drug addiction as well as being a social Scourge was a phenomenon inherent in the administration of a narcotic drug. It was felt that the medical profession should be fully informed of the properties of all narcotic drugs and should use the greatest caution in their prescription until all their properties had been fully uncovered by clinical experience.5 6 IX. 8. In discussing the future work of the Commission in combatting drug addiction several suggestions were put forward. The Commission requested the Secretary General to pursue his studies in this field, and felt that the assistance which United Nations seminars, such as the Seminar for Asia and the Far East on . . . whose proceedings had been reported to the Commission, could afford should be kept in mind. In this connexion, the Commission noted the interlocking work of the Social Commission in the field of the prevention of crime, and decided to suggest to the Social Commission a joint study of this field. The Commission decided that Governments should be urged to give as full information and statistics as possible when returning the chapter on drug addiction in the revised form of Annual Reports, and felt that the World Health Organization would render great assistance if it could undertake a study on up-to-date methods of treat ment of drug addicts. It was also suggested that the WHO provide information on possible methods and precautions to prevent the falsification of prescriptions for narcotic drugs by drug addicts or traffickers. It was also suggested that technical assistance should be made available to States in connexion with measures to combat drug addiction. IX. 9. The Commission also considered a summary of "State Legislation relating to the treatment of drug addicts in the U. S. A." which it felt could be of use to the appropriate services in many countries and took note of the document. IX. 10. The Commission adopted by votes a resolution embodying the above considerations. The Economic and Social Council. (a) Recalling resolution 548 I (XVIII) and the recommendations contained therein; (b) Noting that in their Annual Reports certain countries have provided statistics of addiction that are of great value; (c) Recognizing that such statistics and the information regarding the extent and character of drug addiction which they involve are necessary for effective countermeasures against addiction; (d) Noting that the work undertaken by the Social Commission in the field of prevention of crime is parallel in a number of respects with the work of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs; 1. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to collect information and pursue his studies on aspects of drug addiction in consultation with the World Health Organization, the Social Commission of the United Nations and other bodies concerned; 2. Notes the view expressed by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs that in the treatment of drug addiction methods of ambulatory treatment and open clinics are not advisable; 3. Expresses its appreciation of the assistance given by the World Health Organization and requests the Organization to prepare: (a) an up-to-date study on appropriate methods for treating drug addicts; [(b) information on methods and precautions which could assist the medical profession to prevent the falsification of prescriptions for narcotic drugs;] 4. Recommends that Governments concerned take appropriate measures (i) to establish, if they have not already done so, the necessary arrangements for collecting information on the extent and character of drug addiction in their countries, and (ii) to submit such statistics on the lines of the form of Annual Reports as revised by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. EXHIBIT No. 24 UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL COMMISSION ON NARCOTIC DRUGS (Tenth session, May 4, 1955. Item 4 of the agenda) REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON SEIZURES-ANNEXES ANNEX A-LIST OF THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COMMISSION 1. The Committee recommends that the Commission bring to the attention of Governments the request of the representative of Mexico that the designation of an impure "brown" type of heroin as "Mexican" heroin should be discontinued (paragraph 29). 2. The Committee recommends that the traffic in diacetylmorphine which there appeared to be from Macao to Hong Kong should be brought to the attention of the Government of Portugal (paragraph 33). 3. The Committee recommends that the attention of the Governments of Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru should be called to the possibility that the illicit manufacture of crude cocaine has been increasing in those countries (paragraph 34). 7E/CN.7/296. 4. The Committee recommends that the measures introduced by the Italian Government for the suppression of the illicit traffic be recognized in the Commission's report (paragraph 53). 5. The Committee recommends that the Commission should take the following decisions: (a) formally to record its deep concern at the illicit traffic in the Lebanon; (b) to decide that the situation in the Lebanon should be the subject of a special review at the Commission's eleventh session; and (c) to request the Secretary-General to send a most pressing invitation to the Lebanon urging that a representative of the Lebanese Government, fully acquainted with, and preferably having firsthand knowledge of, the illicit traffic in the country, should next year attend the meetings of the Committee on Illicit Traffic (if such a Committee is appointed) and the appropriate meetings of the Commission itself (paragraph 55). 6. The Committee recommends that the Commission should request the Government of Thailand to send a representative, fully acquainted with and preferably having firsthand knowledge of the illicit traffic in that country, to attend next year the meetings of the Committee on Illicit Traffic (if such a Committee is appointed) and the appropriate meetings of the Commission itself (paragraph 57). 7. The Committee recommends that the Commission should draw the attention of Governments to the increasing use of airlines by traffickers travelling as passengers and should request them to draw the attention of their Customs services to this illicit traffic (paragraph 60). 8. The Committee proposes that the Secretary-General be asked to make enquiries of the Government of Portugal concerning the disposition of 1,000 tons of acetic anhydride which went to Macao during the last year (paragraph 64). 9. The Committee recommends that Governments should be reminded of the resolution on acetic anhydride adopted by the Commission at its last session, i. e., resolution A, par. 39, Annex B of E/2606 (paragraph 65). 10. The Committee recommends that the attention of Governments be drawn to the importance of providing adequate penalties to act as a deterrent to illicit traffic (paragraph 66). 11. The Committee recommends that the Commission should provide for a Committee on Illicit Traffic to meet each year (paragraph 68). 12. The Committee recommends that a period of three working days immediately prior to the opening of the Commission should be reserved for the meetings of the Committee on Illicit Traffic (paragraph 69). 13. The Committee recommends that some procedure be devised for giving advance notice to Governments concerned that the Commission, through the Committee, is likely to desire fuller information about the situation in a particular country (paragraph 71). 14. The Committee felt that the Commission might wish to take into account the problem of the Committee in obtaining up-to-date documentation when it considers its recommendations to the Council on the time of its next session (paragraph 72). 15. The Committee recommends that the summaries of illicit transactions and seizures should continue to be published on a monthly basis (paragraph 76). 16. The Committee recommends that the Secretary-General should be asked to call the attention of Governments to the arrangements regarding the reporting of ships involved in the illicit traffic and to the desirability of their participating as actively as possible in such arrangements (paragraph 77). 17. The Committee recommends that the Commission should ask Government to include data on the use of aircraft for trafficking in their seizure reports (paragraph 77). 18. The Committee recommends that the Commission should adopt a resolution which would reinforce and supplement the one regarding the procedures to be followed in designating the origin of drugs (resolution B of paragraph 39 of Annex B of E/2606) which the Commission adopted at its previous session (paragraph 78). ANNEX B-LIST OF COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES FOR WHICH CHAPTER V OF THE ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1954 WAS AVAILABLE ANNEX C-PRINCIPLES WHICH ARE REQUIRED TO BE OBSERVED IN INDIA DURING THE POPPY-GROWING SEASON OF 1955-56 IN LICENSING POPPY CULTIVATORS (Information furnished to the Committee by the Representative of India) 1. Poppy shall not ordinarily be planted in any tehsil, pargana, or village in which it was not grown during the 1954-55 season. 2. No cultivator who did not hold a license during 1954-55 shall ordinarily be licensed during 1955-56. 3. Cultivators who deliberately planted poppy during 1954-55 season (i) In holdings not exceeding 1 bigha,' an excess area of 2 biswas2 or more; and (ii) in bigger holdings an excess area of 10 per cent or more over the allotted area will be prescribed for the 1955-56 season. 4. Cultivators who had resorted to illicit cultivation, or were implicated in an offence under the Opium Laws, or against whom there was evidence (such as mention of their names in the private records and accounts of a smuggler who has been arrested) to show that they were colluding with persons engaged in the illicit traffic, or who had flouted the departmental instructions such as those relating to the surrendering of the opium pots, etc., shall not be eligible for a license. 5. The average produce per bigha is the principle criterion for grant of a license. To determine the eligibility of a cultivator the average produce in any of the 3 years preceding, viz 1952-53, 1953-54, and 1954-55, will be considered, i. e., a cultivator to become eligible for being granted a license must have secured 18 bighas 5 acres. 21 bigha 20 biswas. |