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National Association of Retail Druggists, Atlantic City, MO, October 19, 1970
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National Association of Retail Druggists, Atlantic City, MO, October 19, 1970
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The original documents are located in Box D30, folder "National Association of Retail
Druggists, Atlantic City, MO, October 19, 1970" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press
Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box D30 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RETAIL DRUGGISTS,
(1.30)
ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY, 10:30 A.M.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1970.
AS RETAIL DRUGGISTS YOU ARE ENGAGED
IN THE MOST POPULAR BUSINESS IN AMERICA.
But in recent have
CORNER DRUGSTORES ARE BEING
your
with
OPERATED -- LITERALLY, ON STREET CORNERS --
new BY
INCREASING NUMBERS OF SELF-APPOINTED
MERCHANDISERS IN ILLICIT AND DANGEROUS
DRUGS.
NEITHER IS THE SOCIAL PROBLEM OF
DRUG ABUSE LIMITED TO THE ILLEGAL STREET
CORNER MERCHANDISER AND HIS CUSTOMERS.
IT ALSO EXTENDS TO THE MEDICINE CABINET
IN THE HOME.
THIS IS THE AGE OF AFFLUENCE AND
THE AGE OF ANXIETY. AND SO DRUG ABUSE
FORD i LIBRARY GERALD
IS NO LONGER RESTRICTED TO ANY ONE PART
-2-
OF OUR POPULATION. IT IS FOUND AT ALL
SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND AGE LEVELS.
TODAY IT IS ALL TOO EASY FOR
ANYONE OF ANY AGE WHO DOES NOT LIKE THE
WAY HE LIVES TO TRY A DRUG IN SEARCH OF
EUPHORIA OR OBLIVION.
THE DRUG DILEMMA FACING THIS
COUNTRY HAS BECOME A NATIONAL CONCERN.
AS THE GENERAL ALARM OVER DRUG ABUSE
HAS Their The
INCREASED, SO HAS THE ILLICIT USE OF
DRUGS. THIS TREND MUST BE REVERSED
THE ADMINISTRATION IS MAKING
STRENUOUS EFFORTS TO LIMIT THE SUPPLY
OF DRUGS OF ABUSE -- ESPECIALLY NARCOTICS.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE ENORMITY OF THE TASK,
WE WILL HAVE TO LEARN TO USE ADDITIONAL
MEANS TO CONTROL THE USE OF NARCOTICS
AND OTHER DANGEROUS DRUGS.
WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN THAT THREATS
FORD LIBRARY 071
-3-
AND THE IMPOSITION OF SEVERE PUNISHMENT
THROUGH CRIMINAL SANCTIONS HAVE NOT BEEN
AN EFFECTIVE DETERRENT TO DRUG ABUSE.
THE POINT IS THAT AS KNOWLEDGE OF
THE EFFECTS OF THESE DRUGS BECOMES MORE
PRECISE THE RULES BY WHICH THEIR USE IS
PROSCRIBED MUST ALSO BE DECIDED PRECISELY.
THIS IS THE THRUST OF NEW LEGISLATION
PASSED BY BOTH HOUSES OF THE CONGRESS AND
NOW AWAITING FINAL SHAPING
The Presents signature. This is a foregone
conclusion sense he initiated legalation with recommendations to the Lompers
NEW LEGISLATION HAS BEEN FORMULATED
1969
WHICH I THINK WILL FINALLY ENABLE US TO LINKLETIME
DEAL EFFECTIVELY WITH THE MENACE OF DRUG
ABUSE.
THIS OMNIBUS DRUG CONTROL BILL
RECENTLY PASSED BY THE HOUSE IS ONE OF
THE HOUSE'S MAJOR ACTIONS OF THIS SESSION
OF THE CONGRESS. IT IS DESIGNED TO CRACK
DOWN -- INTELLIGENTLY -- ON NARCOTICS
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
-4-
TRAFFIC AND USE.
THE BILL IS A KEY PART OF THE
ADMINISTRATION'S EFFORTS TO COMBAT THE
GROWING SPREAD OF ORGANIZED AND STREET
CRIME. IT AUTHORIZES $403 MILLION OVER
THREE YEARS FOR PROGRAMS RANGING FROM
RESEARCH TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. IT GIVES
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT BROAD POWERS TO
DEAL WITH ORGANIZED PEDDLERS OF NARCOTICS
WHILE SEEKING TO PREVENT ONE-TIME
OFFENDERS FROM BEING BRANDED AS FELONS.
THE BILL RECOGNIZES THAT A MAJOR
METHOD OF CRACKING DOWN ON DRUG ABUSE
IS TO STRIKE AT THE ILLEGAL TRAFFIC IN
NARCOTICS.
WHILE THE PENALTY FOR POSSESSION
OF NARCOTICS FOR ONE'S OWN PERSONAL USE
HAS BEEN REDUCED FROM A FELONY TO A
104 FORD LIBR
MISDEMEANOR, THE PENALTIES FOR DISTRIBUTION
-5-
OF NARCOTICS HAVE BEEN TOUGHENED.
PENALTIES FOR FIRST OFFENSE CONVICTION
ON NARCOTICS PEDDLING HAVE BEEN INCREASED
TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON OR A $15,000 FINE
OR BOTH. FOR DISTRIBUTION FOR PROFIT
TO A PERSON UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE, THE
PENALTY WILL BE 10 YEARS OR A $15,000 FINE
OR BOTH FOR THE FIRST OFFENSE. THE BILL
ALSO PROVIDES EXTRA-LONG SENTENCES FOR professional
PEDDLERS INVOLVED IN A SO-CALLED NARCOTICS
RING.
THE DRUG ABUSE CONTROL BILL NOW
NEAR FINAL ENACTMENT ATTACKS THIS SOCIAL
AND HEALTH PROBLEM IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.
IT IS DESIGNED TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT
TO OBTAIN DRUGS SUBJECT TO ABUSE; TO
DETER INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPLOIT THE
WEAKNESSES OF OTHERS FOR PERSONAL PROFIT
THROUGH THE ILLICIT SALE OF DRUGS, AND
LIBRARY
-6-
TO PUNISH THOSE WHO ENGAGE IN THIS
TRAFFIC; TO PROVIDE MEANS OF DETERRING
INDIVIDUALS FROM ENGAGING IN THE ABUSE
OF DRUGS; TO REHABILITATE THOSE WHO HAVE
FALLEN INTO THIS TRAP; AND TO EDUCATE
THOSE WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE BE TEMPTED TO
ABUSE DRUGS.
THE BILL PROVIDES INCREASED
AUTHORITY FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO
CONTROL THE MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTION
OF DRUGS SUBJECT TO ABUSE.
THE BILL PROVIDES THAT ALL PERSONS
ENGAGED IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF DRUGS,
FROM THE MANUFACTURER DOWN TO THE FINAL
DISPENSER, SHALL BE REGISTERED. THE
REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS FOR MANUFACTURERS
AND WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS ARE OF SUCH
A NATURE THAT IN SUBSTANCE THE BILL GIVES
R.FORD
LICENSING AUTHORITY TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
-7-
RETAIL DRUGGISTS, PHYSICIANS, AND
RESEARCHERS ARE REQUIRED TO BE REGISTERED.
REGISTRATION OF THESE PERSONS BY THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL IS AS A MATTER OF RIGHT
WHERE THE REGISTRANT IS ENGAGED IN
ACTIVITIES AUTHORIZED OR PERMITTED UNDER
STATE LAW.
ALL PERSONS IN THE DISTRIBUTION
CHAIN ARE REQUIRED TO KEEP RECORDS SUBJECT
TO INSPECTION.
THE BILL ALSO PERMITS THE BUREAU
OF NARCOTICS AND DANGEROUS DRUGS TO
IDENTIFY AND CHARACTERIZE FOR REGULATORY
PURPOSES SUBSTANCES HAVING A POTENTIAL
FOR ABUSE AND TO DEVELOP ADEQUATE
SCREENING CAPABILITIES TO ASSURE THAT
THESE DRUGS ARE DRUGS THAT SHOULD BE
IDENTIFIED AT AN EARLY STAGE BEFORE CONTROL.
THIS LEAVES TO THE NATIONAL
GERALD FORD LIBRARY
-8-
INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH THE BASIC
RESEARCH INTO NARCOTICS AND DANGEROUS
DRUGS, WHICH IS ITS PROPER FUNCTION.
THE CRIMINAL PENALTIES IN THE BILL
ARE MUCH MORE FLEXIBLE THAN THE PRESENT
PENALTY STRUCTURE AND ALLOWS JUDGES
DISCRETION IN SENTENCING OFFENDERS.
THE COMPREHENSIVE DRUG ABUSE
PREVENTION AND CONTROL ACT OF 1970 IS
EASILY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BILLS
PASSED BY THE HOUSE THIS YEAR.
THE INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE
COMMITTEE STRUGGLED WITH IT FOR MONTHS,
PONDERING THE BROAD PHILOSOPHICAL
DIFFERENCES INVOLVED IN DECIDING ON AN
APPROACH TO THE DRUG PROBLEM.
THERE WAS A PRESSING NEED TO
OVERHAUL EXISTING DRUG LAWS.
IN PAST YEARS, HARD DRUGS LIKE
-9-
HEROIN AND COCAINE WERE CONTROLLED FROM
A TAX STANDPOINT AND ENFORCEMENT LAY IN
THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT. MARIHUANA
APPEARED ON THE SCENE, AND ALTHOUGH IT
WAS QUITE A DIFFERENT SUBSTANCE IT WAS
PUSHED IN WITH THE OTHER SUBSTANCES THEN
BEING CONTROLLED. THIS ACCOUNTS FOR THE
SENTENCING STRUCTURE IN MARIHUANA CASES
UP TO THIS POINT.
WHEN A PATTERN OF ABUSE BEGAN TO
DEVELOP IN THE USE OF PEP PILLS AND
TRANQUILIZERS, IT WAS NATURAL THAT
LEGISLATION TO CURB THEM WOULD COME FROM
THE COMMERCE COMMITTEE AS AN AMENDMENT TO
THE FOOD AND DRUG LAW.
AT THAT TIME LSD WAS NO GREAT
PROBLEM BUT HALLUCINOGENIC DRUGS WERE
RECOGNIZED AS A POSSIBLE SOURCE OF TROUBLE
AND SO THEY WERE INCLUDED IN H.R. 2.
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
-10-
AN ENTIRELY INDEPENDENT PENALTY
STRUCTURE WAS PROVIDED, AIMED AT WHAT
SEEMED LIKE A SEPARATE AND DISTINCT
PROBLEM.
HAVING TWO APPROACHES TO DRUG
ABUSE ENFORCEMENT DID NOT MAKE SENSE.
THE DRUG CULTURE WHICH EMERGED IN AMERICA
CERTAINLY DID NOT DIFFERENTIATE.
CONSEQUENTLY LSD, MARIHUANA AND HARD
DRUGS LIKE HEROIN GOT ALL MIXED IN
TOGETHER.
SORTING OUT THE OFFENDERS IN THE
SAME GROUP FOR PURPOSES OF PROSECUTION
AND SENTENCING POINTED UP THE NEED FOR A
COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH.
THE BILL NOT ONLY GOES THOROUGHLY
INTO THE SUBJECT OF ENFORCEMENT BUT ALSO
SETS FORTH AN ACCELERATED PROGRAM FOR
REHABILITATION.
GERALD R.FORD VIBRARY
-11-
RESCUING POTENTIAL DRUG ABUSERS
AND SHORT-STOPPING DRUG ABUSE ARE ACTUALLY
MORE IMPORTANT IN THE LONG RUN THAN
TRYING TO SALVAGE THOSE WHOSE LIVES DRUG
ADDICTION HAS ALREADY WRECKED.
MANY PROGRAMS TODAY, BOTH IN AND
OUT OF GOVERNMENT, ARE FOCUSING UPON THE
DRUG PROBLEM.
TAKING THESE INTO CONSIDERATION,
THE HOUSE BILL EXERTS EVEN GREATER EFFORTS
IN THE DIRECTION OF REHABILITATION. IT
AMENDS THE PROGRAM WHICH CREATES COMMUNITY
MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS TO MAKE THEM
AVAILABLE TO DRUG DEPENDENT PATIENTS.
IN ADDITION, EXTRA FUNDS AND EXTRA
AUTHORITY ARE INCLUDED TO PUT SPECIAL
FACILITIES INTO PLACES WHERE THE DRUG
PROBLEM HITS THE HARDEST.
IN THE ULTIMATE, THE SUCCESS OF
GERALD R.FORD VIBRARA
-12-
THE WAR ON DRUGS WILL DEPEND ON THE
EXTENT AND QUALITY OF THE EDUCATION
EFFORT ENGAGED IN BY GOVERNMENT AND
PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS COMBINED.
LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THE EDUCATION SECTION OF THE DRUG ABUSE
PREVENTION AND CONTROL ACT.
IT AUTHORIZES GRANTS AND CONTRACTS
BY THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH, EDUCATION
AND WELFARE, FIRST, FOR THE COLLECTION,
PREPARATION AND DISSEMINATION OF
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ON DRUG USE AND
ABUSE; AND, SECOND, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT
AND EVALUATION OF PROGRAMS OF DRUG ABUSE
EDUCATION DIRECTED AT THE GENERAL PUBLIC,
SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN, AND SPECIAL
HIGH-RISK GROUPS.
IN ADDITION TO THESE RESPONSIBILITIES,
THE HEW SECRETARY WILL TRAIN PERSONS TO
GEBALOR FORD LIBRARY
ORGANIZE AND PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAMS OF
-13-
PUBLIC DRUG ABUSE EDUCATION; COORDINATE
FEDERAL EFFORTS IN DRUG ABUSE EDUCATION;
AND PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE
STATES AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES REGARDING
DRUG ABUSE EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
SO THIS IS THE DRUG ABUSE
PREVENTION AND CONTROL ACT OF 1970, A
MOST SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF LEGISLATION.
IT BRINGS TOGETHER THE VARIOUS LAWS
AFFECTING DRUGS, CODIFIES AND CONSOLIDATES
THEM. IT MAKES ENFORCEMENT MORE UNIFORM
AND THE HANDLING OF OFFENDERS MORE
FLEXIBLE AND THEREFORE MORE EFFECTIVE.
SOME SAY ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN
WEAKENED. OTHERS SAY JUST THE OPPOSITE.
THE THRUST BEHIND THE CHANGES IS
TO PERMIT MORE DISCRETION IN THE HANDLING
OF FIRST OFFENDERS WHILE BEARING DOWN HARD
ORD
UPON THE PUSHER AND THE PEDDLER. LET ME
LIBRARY
POINT OUT THAT MOST LAW ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE
-14-
BELIEVE THE HARSH MANDATORY SENTENCES IN
THE EXISTING NARCOTICS LAW HAVE BEEN A
HINDRANCE RATHER THAN AN AID TO ENFORCEMENT.
ALL OF THE PENALTIES ARE DOUBLED
FOR SECOND OFFENSES.
I DO NOT THINK THE $403 MILLION
AUTHORIZED FOR THE THREE-YEAR PROGRAM
ENCOMPASSED BY THE BILL IS TOO MUCH.
DRUG ABUSE IS ALREADY COSTING US FAR MORE
IN ACTUAL DOLLARS THAN THE AMOUNT PROVIDED
IN THE DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL
ACT OF 1970.
THERE IS NO PRICE WHICH CAN BE
SET UPON THE MISERY WHICH COMES TO FAMILIES
AND TO INDIVIDUALS CAUGHT UP IN THIS
HORRIBLE NET OF DRUG ADDICTION AND ITS
INEVITABLE CONSEQUENCES.
BUT A PRICE CAN BE SET UPON THE
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
ENORMOUS INCREASES IN ORGANIZED CRIME AND
-15-
STREET CRIME TIED IN WITH THE SHARP RISE
IN DRUG ADDICTION IN THE UNITED STATES --
AND IT FAR EXCEEDS THE COST OF DRUG ABUSE
CONTROL. IT IS GENERALLY RECOGNIZED THAT
DRUG ABUSE IS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE
TREMENDOUS INCREASE IN STREET CRIME IN
THE LAST DECADE.
NO PIECE OF LEGISLATION CAN
GUARANTEE TO LICK THE DRUG PROBLEM IN
THIS COUNTRY. THAT IS A JOB WHICH CALLS
FOR EVERY KIND OF RECRUIT. EVERY ECHELON
OF GOVERNMENT, EVERY PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
ORGANIZATION MUST COMMIT ITS RESOURCES
AND ENERGY TO THE TASK. IF THAT HAPPENS,
I THINK WE CAN MEET THE CHALLENGE.
-- END --
GERALD FORD LIBRARY
Distribution 15 capies u/Mr. Ford
+ advance to "Amn. Druggist"
Office Copy
10/13/70 a.m.
A SPEECH BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH.
REPUBLICAN LEADER, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
BEFORE THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RETAIL DRUGGISTS
AT ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY
10:30 a.m., MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1970
FOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY
As retail druggists you are engaged in the most popular business in America.
Corner drugstores are being operated--literally, on street corners- by
increasing numbers of self-appointed merchandisers in illicit and dangerous drugs.
Neither is the social problem of drug abuse limited to the illegal street
corner merchandiser and his customers. It also extends to the medicine cabinet in
the home.
This is the Age of Affluence and the Age of Anxiety. And so drug abuse is
no longer restricted to any one part of our population. It is found at all social,
economic and age levels.
Today it is all too easy for anyone of any age who does not like the way he
lives to try a drug in search of euphoria or oblivion.
The drug dilemma facing this country has become a national concern. As the
general alarm over drug abuse has increased, so has the illicit use of drugs. This
trend must be reversed.
The Administration is making strenuous efforts to limit the supply of drugs
of abuse--especially the narcotics. But because of the enormity of the task, we
will have to learn to use additional means to control the use of narcotics and
other dangerous drugs.
We have already seen that threats and the imposition of severe punishment
through criminal sanctions have not been an effective deterrent to drug abuse.
The point is that as knowledge of the effects of these drugs becomes more
precise the rules by which their use is proscribed must also be decided precisely.
This is the thrust of new legislation passed by both Houses of the Congress
and now awaiting final shaping.
New legislation has been formulated which I think will finally enable us to
deal effectively with the menace of drug abuse.
This omnibus drug control bill recently passed by the House is one of the
House's major actions of this session of the Congress. It is designed to crack
down--intelligently--on narcotics traffic and use.
(more)
-2-
The bill is a key part of the Administration's efforts to combat the growing
spread of organized and street crime. It authorizes $403 million over three years
for programs ranging from research to law enforcement. It gives the Justice
Department broad powers to deal with organized peddlers of narcotics while seeking
to prevent one-time offenders from being branded as felons.
The bill recognizes that a major method of cracking down on drug abuse is to
strike at the illegal traffic in narcotics.
While the penalty for possession of narcotics for one's own personal use has
been reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, the penalties for distribution of
narcotics have been toughened. Penalties for first offense conviction on narcotics
peddling have been increased to five years in prison or a $15,000 fine or both. For
distribution for profit to a person under 18 years of age, the penalty will be
10 years or a $15,000 fine or both for the first offense. The bill also provides
extra-long sentences for peddlers involved in a so-called narcotics ring.
The drug abuse control bill now near final enactment attacks this social and
health problem in a number of ways.
It is designed to make it difficult to obtain drugs subject to abuse; to
deter individuals who exploit the weaknesses of others for personal profit through
the illicit sale of drugs, and to punish those who engage in this traffic; to
provide means of deterring individuals from engaging in the abuse of drugs; to
rehabilitate those who have fallen into this trap; and to educate those who might
otherwise be tempted to abuse drugs.
The bill provides increased authority for the Attorney General to control
the manufacture and distribution of drugs subject to abuse.
The bill provides that all persons engaged in the distribution of drugs, from
the manufacturer down to the final dispenser, shall be registered. The registration
requirements for manufacturers and wholesale distributors are of such a nature that
in substance the bill gives licensing authority to the Attorney General.
Retail druggists, physicians, and researchers are required to be registered.
Registration of these persons by the Attorney General is as a matter of right where
the registrant is engaged in activities authorized or permitted under State law.
All persons in the distribution chain are required to keep records subject
to inspection.
The bill also permits the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs to identify
and characterize for regulatory purposes substances having a potential for abuse
(more)
-3-
and to develop adequate screening capabilities to assure that these drugs are drugs
that should be identified at an early stage before control.
This leaves to the National Institute of Mental Health the basic research
into narcotics and dangerous drugs, which is its proper function.
The criminal penalties in the bill are much more flexible than the present
penalty structure and allows judges discretion in sentencing offenders.
The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 is easily
one of the most important bills passed by the House this year.
The Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee struggled with it for months,
pondering the broad philosophical differences involved in deciding on an approach
to the drug problem.
There was a pressing need to overhaul existing drug laws.
In past years, hard drugs like heroin and cocaine were controlled from a
tax standpoint and enforcement lay in the Treasury Department. Marihuana appeared
on the scene, and although it was quite a different substance it was pushed in with
the other substances then being controlled. This accounts for the sentencing
structure in marihuana cases up to this point.
When a pattern of abuse began to develop in the use of pep pills and
tranquilizers, it was natural that legislation to curb them would come from the
Commerce Committee as an amendment to the food and drug law.
At that time LSD was no great problem but hallucinogenic drugs were recognized
as a possible source of trouble and so they were included in H.R. 2.
An entirely independent penalty structure was provided, aimed at what seemed
like a separate and distinct problem.
Having two approaches to drug abuse enforcement did not make sense. The
drug culture which emerged in America certainly did not differentiate. Consequently
LSD, marihuana and hard drugs like heroin got all mixed in together.
Sorting out the offenders in the same group for purposes of prosecution and
sentencing pointed up the need for a comprehensive approach.
The bill not only goes thoroughly into the subject of enforcement but also
sets forth an accelerated program for rehabilitation.
Rescuing potential drug abusers and short-stopping drug abuse are actually
more important in the long run than trying to salvage those whose lives drug
addiction has already wrecked.
Many programs today, both in and out of government, are focusing upon the
drug problem.
(more)
-4-
Taking these into consideration, the House bill exerts even greater efforts
in the direction of rehabilitation. It amends the program which creates community
mental health centers to make them available to drug dependent patients. In
addition, extra funds and extra authority are included to put special facilities
into places where the drug problem hits the hardest.
In the ultimate, the success of the war on drugs will depend on the extent
and quality of the education effort engaged in by Government and private organiza-
tions combined.
Let me tell you a little bit about the education section of the Drug Abuse
Prevention and Control Act.
It authorizes grants and contracts by the Secretary of Health, Education and
Welfare, first, for the collection, preparation and dissemination of educational
materials on drug use and abuse; and, second, for the development and evaluation
of programs of drug abuse education directed at the general public, school-age
children, and special high-risk groups.
In addition to these responsibilities, the HEW Secretary will train persons
to organize and participate in programs of public drug abuse education; coordinate
Federal efforts in drug abuse education; and provide technical assistance to the
States and local communities regarding drug abuse education programs.
So this is the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, a most
significant piece of legislation. It brings together the various laws affecting
drugs, codifies and consolidates them. It makes enforcement more uniform and the
handling of offenders more flexible and therefore more effective.
Some say enforcement has been weakened. Others say just the opposite.
The thrust behind the changes is to permit more discretion in the handling
of first offenders while bearing down hard upon the pusher and the peddler. Let
me point out that most law enforcement people believe the harsh mandatory sentences
in the existing narcotics law have been a hindrance rather than an aid to enforce-
ment.
All of the penalties are doubled for second offenses.
I do not think the $403 million authorized for the three-year program
encompassed by the bill is too much. Drug abuse is already costing us far more in
actual dollars than the amount provided in the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control
Act of 1970.
There is no price which can be set upon the misery which comes to families
(more)
-5-
and to individuals caught up in this horrible net of drug addiction and its
inevitable consequences.
But a price can be set upon the enormous increases in organized crime and
street crime tied in with the sharp rise in drug addiction in the United States--
and it far exceeds the cost of drug abuse control. It is generally recognized that
drug abuse is the primary cause of the tremendous increase in street crime in the
last decade.
No piece of legislation can guarantee to lick the drug problem in this
country. That is a job which calls for every kind of recruit. Every echelon of
government, every public and private organization must commit its resources and
energy to the task. If that happens, I think we can meet the challenge.
###
15 copies up ma. Ford
advance copy to Comm Druggist
Office copy
A SPEECH BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R--MICH.
REPUBLICAN LEADER, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
BEFORE THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RETAIL DRUGGISTS
AT ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY
10:30 a.m., MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1970
FOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY
As retail druggists you are engaged in the most popular business in America.
Corner drugstores are being operated--literally, on street corners-by
increasing numbers of self-appointed merchandisers in illicit and dangerous drugs.
Neither is the social problem of drug abuse limited to the illegal street
corner merchandiser and his customers. It also extends to the medicine cabinet in
the home.
This is the Age of Affluence and the Age of Anxiety. And so drug abuse is
no longer restricted to any one part of our population. It is found at all social,
economic and age levels.
Today it is all too easy for anyone of any age who does not like the way he
lives to try a drug in search of euphoria or oblivion.
The drug dilemma facing this country has become a national concern. As the
general alarm over drug abuse has increased, so has the illicit use of drugs. This
trend must be reversed.
The Administration is making strenuous efforts to limit the supply of drugs
of abuse--especially the narcotics. But because of the enormity of the task, we
will have to learn to use additional means to control the use of narcotics and
other dangerous drugs.
We have already seen that threats and the imposition of severe punishment
through criminal sanctions have not been an effective deterrent to drug abuse.
The point is that as knowledge of the effects of these drugs becomes more
precise the rules by which their use is proscribed must also be decided precisely.
This is the thrust of new legislation passed by both Houses of the Congress
and now awaiting final shaping.
New legislation has been formulated which I think will finally enable us to
deal effectively with the menace of drug abuse.
This omnibus drug control bill recently passed by the House is one of the
House's major actions of this session of the Congress. It is designed to crack
down--intelligently--on narcotics traffic and use.
(more)
-.2-
The bill is a key part of the Administration's efforts to combat the growing
spread of organized and street crime. It authorizes $403 million over three years
for programs ranging from research to law enforcement. It gives the Justice
Department broad powers to deal with organized peddlers of narcotics while seeking
to prevent one-time offenders from being branded as felons.
The bill recognizes that a major method of cracking down on drug abuse is to
strike at the illegal traffic in narcotics.
While the penalty for possession of narcotics for one's own personal use has
been reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, the penalties for distribution of
narcotics have been toughened. Penalties for first offense conviction on narcotics
peddling have been increased to five years in prison or a $15,000 fine or both. For
distribution for profit to a person under 18 years of age, the penalty will be
10 years or a $15,000 fine or both for the first offense. The bill also provides
extra-long sentences for peddlers involved in a so-called narcotics ring.
The drug abuse control bill now near final enactment attacks this social and
health problem in a number of ways.
It is designed to make it difficult to obtain drugs subject to abuse; to
deter individuals who exploit the weaknesses of others for personal profit through
the illicit sale of drugs, and to punish those who engage in this traffic; to
provide means of deterring individuals from engaging in the abuse of drugs; to
rehabilitate those who have fallen into this trap; and to educate those who might
otherwise be tempted to abuse drugs.
The bill provides increased authority for the Attorney General to control
the manufacture and distribution of drugs subject to abuse.
The bill provides that all persons engaged in the distribution of drugs, from
the manufacturer down to the final dispenser, shall be registered. The registration
requirements for manufacturers and wholesale distributors are of such a nature that
in substance the bill gives licensing authority to the Attorney General.
Retail druggists, physicians, and researchers are required to be registered.
Registration of these persons by the Attorney General is as a matter of right where
the registrant is engaged in activities authorized or permitted under State law.
All persons in the distribution chain are required to keep records subject
to inspection.
The bill also permits the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs to identify
and characterize for regulatory purposes substances having a potential for abuse
(more)
-3-
and to develop adequate screening capabilities to assure that these drugs are drugs
that should be identified at an early stage before control.
This leaves to the National Institute of Mental Health the basic research
into narcotics and dangerous drugs, which is its proper function.
The criminal penalties in the bill are much more flexible than the present
penalty structure and allows judges discretion in sentencing offenders.
The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 is easily
one of the most important bills passed by the House this year.
The Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee struggled with it for months,
pondering the broad philosophical differences involved in deciding on an approach
to the drug problem.
There was a pressing need to overhaul existing drug laws.
In past years, hard drugs like heroin and cocaine were controlled from a
tax standpoint and enforcement lay in the Treasury Department. Marihuana appeared
on the scene, and although it was quite a different substance it was pushed in with
the other substances then being controlled. This accounts for the sentencing
structure in marihuana cases up to this point.
When a pattern of abuse began to develop in the use of pep pills and
tranquilizers, it was natural that legislation to curb them would come from the
Commerce Committee as an amendment to the food and drug law.
At that time LSD was no great problem but hallucinogenic drugs were recognized
as a possible source of trouble and so they were included in H.R. 2.
An entirely independent penalty structure was provided, aimed at what seemed
like a separate and distinct problem.
Having two approaches to drug abuse enforcement did not make sense. The
drug culture which emerged in America certainly did not differentiate. Consequently
LSD, marihuana and hard drugs like heroin got all mixed in together.
Sorting out the offenders in the same group for purposes of prosecution and
sentencing pointed up the need for a comprehensive approach.
The bill not only goes thoroughly into the subject of enforcement but also
sets forth an accelerated program for rehabilitation.
Rescuing potential drug abusers and short-stopping drug abuse are actually
more important in the long run than trying to salvage those whose lives drug
addiction has already wrecked.
Many programs today, both in and out of government, are focusing upon the
drug problem.
(more)
-4-
Taking these into consideration, the House bill exerts even greater efforts
in the direction of rehabilitation. It amends the program which creates community
mental health centers to make them available to drug dependent patients. In
addition, extra funds and extra authority are included to put special facilities
into places where the drug problem hits the hardest.
In the ultimate, the success of the war on drugs will depend on the extent
and quality of the education effort engaged in by Government and private organiza-
tions combined.
Let me tell you a little bit about the education section of the Drug Abuse
Prevention and Control Act.
It authorizes grants and contracts by the Secretary of Health, Education and
Welfare, first, for the collection, preparation and dissemination of educational
materials on drug use and abuse; and, second, for the development and evaluation
of programs of drug abuse education directed at the general public, school-age
children, and special high-risk groups.
In addition to these responsibilities, the HEW Secretary will train persons
to organize and participate in programs of public drug abuse education; coordinate
Federal efforts in drug abuse education; and provide technical assistance to the
States and local communities regarding drug abuse education programs.
So this is the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, a most
significant piece of legislation. It brings together the various laws affecting
drugs, codifies and consolidates them. It makes enforcement more uniform and the
handling of offenders more flexible and therefore more effective.
Some say enforcement has been weakened. Others say just the opposite.
The thrust behind the changes is to permit more discretion in the handling
of first offenders while bearing down hard upon the pusher and the peddler. Let
me point out that most law enforcement people believe the harsh mandatory sentences
in the existing narcotics law have been a hindrance rather than an aid to enforce-
ment.
All of the penalties are doubled for second offenses.
I do not think the $403 million authorized for the three-year program
encompassed by the bill is too much. Drug abuse is already costing us far more in
actual dollars than the amount provided in the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control
Act of 1970.
There is no price which can be set upon the misery which comes to families
(more)
-5-
and to individuals caught up in this horrible net of drug addiction and its
inevitable consequences.
But a price can be set upon the enormous increases in organized crime and
street crime tied in with the sharp rise in drug addiction in the United States--
and it far exceeds the cost of drug abuse control. It is generally recognized that
drug abuse is the primary cause of the tremendous increase in street crime in the
last decade.
No piece of legislation can guarantee to lick the drug problem in this
country. That is a job which calls for every kind of recruit. Every echelon of
government, every public and private organization must commit its resources and
energy to the task. If that happens, I think we can meet the challenge.
# # #
A SPEECH BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH.
REPUBLICAN LEADER, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
BEFORE THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RETAIL DRUGGISTS
AT ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY
10:30 a.m., MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1970
FOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY
As retail druggists you are engaged in the most popular business in America.
Corner drugstores are being operated literally, on street corners- by
increasing numbers of self-appointed merchandisers in illicit and dangerous drugs.
Neither is the social problem of drug abuse limited to the illegal street
corner merchandiser and his customers. It also extends to the medicine cabinet in
the home.
This is the Age of Affluence and the Age of Anxiety. And so drug abuse is
no longer restricted to any one part of our population. It is found at all social,
economic and age levels.
Today it is all too easy for anyone of any age who does not like the way he
lives to try a drug in search of euphoria or oblivion.
The drug dilemma facing this country has become a national concern. As the
general alarm over drug abuse has increased, so has the illicit use of drugs. This
trend must be reversed.
The Administration is making strenuous efforts to limit the supply of drugs
of abuse--especially the narcotics. But because of the enormity of the task, we
will have to learn to use additional means to control the use of narcotics and
other dangerous drugs.
We have already seen that threats and the imposition of severe punishment
through criminal sanctions have not been an effective deterrent to drug abuse.
The point is that as knowledge of the effects of these drugs becomes more
precise the rules by which their use is proscribed must also be decided precisely.
This is the thrust of new legislation passed by both Houses of the Congress
and now awaiting final shaping.
New legislation has been formulated which I think will finally enable us to
deal effectively with the menace of drug abuse.
This omnibus drug control bill recently passed by the House is one of the
House's major actions of this session of the Congress. It is designed to crack
down--intelligently--on narcotics traffic and use.
(more)
-2-
The bill is a key part of the Administration's efforts to combat the growing
spread of organized and street crime. It authorizes $403 million over three years
for programs ranging from research to law enforcement. It gives the Justice
Department broad powers to deal with organized peddlers of narcotics while seeking
to prevent one-time offenders from being branded as felons.
The bill recognizes that a major method of cracking down on drug abuse is to
strike at the illegal traffic in narcotics.
While the penalty for possession of narcotics for one's own personal use has
been reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, the penalties for distribution of
narcotics have been toughened. Penalties for first offense conviction on narcotics
peddling have been increased to five years in prison or a $15,000 fine or both. For
distribution for profit to a person under 18 years of age, the penalty will be
10 years or a $15,000 fine or both for the first offense. The bill also provides
extra-long sentences for peddlers involved in a so-called narcotics ring.
The drug abuse control bill now near final enactment attacks this social and
health problem in a number of ways.
It is designed to make it difficult to obtain drugs subject to abuse; to
deter individuals who exploit the weaknesses of others for personal profit through
the illicit sale of drugs, and to punish those who engage in this traffic; to
provide means of deterring individuals from engaging in the abuse of drugs; to
rehabilitate those who have fallen into this trap; and to educate those who might
otherwise be tempted to abuse drugs.
The bill provides increased authority for the Attorney General to control
the manufacture and distribution of drugs subject to abuse.
The bill provides that all persons engaged in the distribution of drugs, from
the manufacturer down to the final dispenser, shall be registered. The registration
requirements for manufacturers and wholesale distributors are of such a nature that
in substance the bill gives licensing authority to the Attorney General.
Retail druggists, physicians, and researchers are required to be registered.
Registration of these persons by the Attorney General is as a matter of right where
the registrant is engaged in activities authorized or permitted under State law.
All persons in the distribution chain are required to keep records subject
to inspection.
The bill also permits the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs to identify
and characterize for regulatory purposes substances having a potential for abuse
(more)
-3-
and to develop adequate screening capabilities to assure that these drugs are drugs
that should be identified at an early stage before control.
This leaves to the National Institute of Mental Health the basic research
into narcotics and dangerous drugs, which is its proper function.
The criminal penalties in the bill are much more flexible than the present
penalty structure and allows judges discretion in sentencing offenders.
The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 is easily
one of the most important bills passed by the House this year.
The Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee struggled with it for months,
pondering the broad philosophical differences involved in deciding on an approach
to the drug problem.
There was a pressing need to overhaul existing drug laws.
In past years, hard drugs like heroin and cocaine were controlled from a
tax standpoint and enforcement lay in the Treasury Department. Marihuana appeared
on the scene, and although it was quite a different substance it was pushed in with
the other substances then being controlled. This accounts for the sentencing
structure in marihuana cases up to this point.
When a pattern of abuse began to develop in the use of pep pills and
tranquilizers, it was natural that legislation to curb them would come from the
Commerce Committee as an amendment to the food and drug law.
At that time LSD was no great problem but hallucinogenic drugs were recognized
as a possible source of trouble and so they were included in H.R. 2.
An entirely independent penalty structure was provided, aimed at what seemed
like a separate and distinct problem.
Having two approaches to drug abuse enforcement did not make sense. The
drug culture which emerged in America certainly did not differentiate. Consequently
LSD, marihuana and hard drugs like heroin got all mixed in together.
Sorting out the offenders in the same group for purposes of prosecution and
sentencing pointed up the need for a comprehensive approach.
The bill not only goes thoroughly into the subject of enforcement but also
sets forth an accelerated program for rehabilitation.
Rescuing potential drug abusers and short-stopping drug abuse are actually
more important in the long run than trying to salvage those whose lives drug
addiction has already wrecked.
Many programs today, both in and out of government, are focusing upon the
drug problem.
(more)
-4-
Taking these into consideration, the House bill exerts even greater efforts
in the direction of rehabilitation. It amends the program which creates community
mental health centers to make them available to drug dependent patients. In
addition, extra funds and extra authority are included to put special facilities
into places where the drug problem hits the hardest.
In the ultimate, the success of the war on drugs will depend on the extent
and quality of the education effort engaged in by Government and private organiza-
tions combined.
Let me tell you a little bit about the education section of the Drug Abuse
Prevention and Control Act.
It authorizes grants and contracts by the Secretary of Health, Education and
Welfare, first, for the collection, preparation and dissemination of educational
materials on drug use and abuse; and, second, for the development and evaluation
of programs of drug abuse education directed at the general public, school-age
children, and special high-risk groups.
In addition to these responsibilities, the HEW Secretary will train persons
to organize and participate in programs of public drug abuse education; coordinate
Federal efforts in drug abuse education; and provide technical assistance to the
States and local communities regarding drug abuse education programs.
So this is the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, a most
significant piece of legislation. It brings together the various laws affecting
drugs, codifies and consolidates them. It makes enforcement more uniform and the
handling of offenders more flexible and therefore more effective.
Some say enforcement has been weakened. Others say just the opposite.
The thrust behind the changes is to permit more discretion in the handling
of first offenders while bearing down hard upon the pusher and the peddler. Let
me point out that most law enforcement people believe the harsh mandatory sentences
in the existing narcotics law have been a hindrance rather than an aid to enforce-
ment.
All of the penalties are doubled for second offenses.
I do not think the $403 million authorized for the three-year program
encompassed by the bill is too much. Drug abuse is already costing us far more in
actual dollars than the amount provided in the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control
Act of 1970.
There is no price which can be set upon the misery which comes to families
(more)
-5-
and to individuals caught up in this horrible net of drug addiction and its
inevitable consequences.
But a price can be set upon the enormous increases in organized crime and
street crime tied in with the sharp rise in drug addiction in the United States--
and it far exceeds the cost of drug abuse control. It is generally recognized that
drug abuse is the primary cause of the tremendous increase in street crime in the
last decade.
No piece of legislation can guarantee to lick the drug problem in this
country. That is a job which calls for every kind of recruit. Every echelon of
government, every public and private organization must commit its resources and
energy to the task. If that happens, I think we can meet the challenge.
###