Museado / NARA Collection grf-0054 — Collection grf-0054
Recent Folios
Login Register
English español (Spanish) magyar (Hungarian) हिन्दी (Hindi)

Survos folio page chat

National Association of Retail Druggists, Atlantic City, MO, October 19, 1970

Ask the Scholar

Page 1 of 1
I can add historical knowledge about this page.

Page image

Page 1

OCR

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 The Council donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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. ###

Page data

Page
1
Source index
0
Type
document
Media ID
02125b03ab4772db
Size
unknown

Document data

ID
4526329
Core
doc
Type
document
DTO data 
{
    "id": "4526329",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4526329",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "National Association of Retail Druggists, Atlantic City, MO, October 19, 1970",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4526329",
    "collections": [
        "Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers",
        "Speeches"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Drug abuse",
        "Legislation"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0054/642080/4526329.pdf",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0054/642080/4526329.pdf",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0054/642080/4526329.pdf",
    "imageCount": 1,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}

Context sent to Scholar

Document identity 
{
    "localId": "4526329",
    "label": "National Association of Retail Druggists, Atlantic City, MO, October 19, 1970",
    "core": "doc",
    "dtoType": "document",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4526329"
}
Document source metadata 
{
    "id": "4526329",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4526329",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "National Association of Retail Druggists, Atlantic City, MO, October 19, 1970",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4526329",
    "collections": [
        "Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers",
        "Speeches"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Drug abuse",
        "Legislation"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0054/642080/4526329.pdf",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0054/642080/4526329.pdf",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0054/642080/4526329.pdf",
    "imageCount": 1,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras 
{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4526329",
    "naId": 4526329,
    "coverageEndDate": {
        "logicalDate": "1970-10-31",
        "month": 10,
        "year": 1970
    },
    "coverageStartDate": {
        "logicalDate": "1970-10-01",
        "month": 10,
        "year": 1970
    },
    "levelOfDescription": "fileUnit",
    "recordType": "description",
    "ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context 
{
    "seq": 1,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0054/642080/4526329.pdf",
    "mediaId": "02125b03ab4772db",
    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box D30, folder \"National Association of Retail\nDruggists, Atlantic City, MO, October 19, 1970\" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press\nSecretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nDigitized from Box D30 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RETAIL DRUGGISTS,\n(1.30)\nATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY, 10:30 A.M.\nMONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1970.\nAS RETAIL DRUGGISTS YOU ARE ENGAGED\nIN THE MOST POPULAR BUSINESS IN AMERICA.\nBut in recent have\nCORNER DRUGSTORES ARE BEING\nyour\nwith\nOPERATED -- LITERALLY, ON STREET CORNERS --\nnew BY\nINCREASING NUMBERS OF SELF-APPOINTED\nMERCHANDISERS IN ILLICIT AND DANGEROUS\nDRUGS.\nNEITHER IS THE SOCIAL PROBLEM OF\nDRUG ABUSE LIMITED TO THE ILLEGAL STREET\nCORNER MERCHANDISER AND HIS CUSTOMERS.\nIT ALSO EXTENDS TO THE MEDICINE CABINET\nIN THE HOME.\nTHIS IS THE AGE OF AFFLUENCE AND\nTHE AGE OF ANXIETY. AND SO DRUG ABUSE\nFORD i LIBRARY GERALD\nIS NO LONGER RESTRICTED TO ANY ONE PART\n-2-\nOF OUR POPULATION. IT IS FOUND AT ALL\nSOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND AGE LEVELS.\nTODAY IT IS ALL TOO EASY FOR\nANYONE OF ANY AGE WHO DOES NOT LIKE THE\nWAY HE LIVES TO TRY A DRUG IN SEARCH OF\nEUPHORIA OR OBLIVION.\nTHE DRUG DILEMMA FACING THIS\nCOUNTRY HAS BECOME A NATIONAL CONCERN.\nAS THE GENERAL ALARM OVER DRUG ABUSE\nHAS Their The\nINCREASED, SO HAS THE ILLICIT USE OF\nDRUGS. THIS TREND MUST BE REVERSED\nTHE ADMINISTRATION IS MAKING\nSTRENUOUS EFFORTS TO LIMIT THE SUPPLY\nOF DRUGS OF ABUSE -- ESPECIALLY NARCOTICS.\nBUT BECAUSE OF THE ENORMITY OF THE TASK,\nWE WILL HAVE TO LEARN TO USE ADDITIONAL\nMEANS TO CONTROL THE USE OF NARCOTICS\nAND OTHER DANGEROUS DRUGS.\nWE HAVE ALREADY SEEN THAT THREATS\nFORD LIBRARY 071\n-3-\nAND THE IMPOSITION OF SEVERE PUNISHMENT\nTHROUGH CRIMINAL SANCTIONS HAVE NOT BEEN\nAN EFFECTIVE DETERRENT TO DRUG ABUSE.\nTHE POINT IS THAT AS KNOWLEDGE OF\nTHE EFFECTS OF THESE DRUGS BECOMES MORE\nPRECISE THE RULES BY WHICH THEIR USE IS\nPROSCRIBED MUST ALSO BE DECIDED PRECISELY.\nTHIS IS THE THRUST OF NEW LEGISLATION\nPASSED BY BOTH HOUSES OF THE CONGRESS AND\nNOW AWAITING FINAL SHAPING\nThe Presents signature. This is a foregone\nconclusion sense he initiated legalation with recommendations to the Lompers\nNEW LEGISLATION HAS BEEN FORMULATED\n1969\nWHICH I THINK WILL FINALLY ENABLE US TO LINKLETIME\nDEAL EFFECTIVELY WITH THE MENACE OF DRUG\nABUSE.\nTHIS OMNIBUS DRUG CONTROL BILL\nRECENTLY PASSED BY THE HOUSE IS ONE OF\nTHE HOUSE'S MAJOR ACTIONS OF THIS SESSION\nOF THE CONGRESS. IT IS DESIGNED TO CRACK\nDOWN -- INTELLIGENTLY -- ON NARCOTICS\nFORD & LIBRARY GERALD\n-4-\nTRAFFIC AND USE.\nTHE BILL IS A KEY PART OF THE\nADMINISTRATION'S EFFORTS TO COMBAT THE\nGROWING SPREAD OF ORGANIZED AND STREET\nCRIME. IT AUTHORIZES $403 MILLION OVER\nTHREE YEARS FOR PROGRAMS RANGING FROM\nRESEARCH TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. IT GIVES\nTHE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT BROAD POWERS TO\nDEAL WITH ORGANIZED PEDDLERS OF NARCOTICS\nWHILE SEEKING TO PREVENT ONE-TIME\nOFFENDERS FROM BEING BRANDED AS FELONS.\nTHE BILL RECOGNIZES THAT A MAJOR\nMETHOD OF CRACKING DOWN ON DRUG ABUSE\nIS TO STRIKE AT THE ILLEGAL TRAFFIC IN\nNARCOTICS.\nWHILE THE PENALTY FOR POSSESSION\nOF NARCOTICS FOR ONE'S OWN PERSONAL USE\nHAS BEEN REDUCED FROM A FELONY TO A\n104 FORD LIBR\nMISDEMEANOR, THE PENALTIES FOR DISTRIBUTION\n-5-\nOF NARCOTICS HAVE BEEN TOUGHENED.\nPENALTIES FOR FIRST OFFENSE CONVICTION\nON NARCOTICS PEDDLING HAVE BEEN INCREASED\nTO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON OR A $15,000 FINE\nOR BOTH. FOR DISTRIBUTION FOR PROFIT\nTO A PERSON UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE, THE\nPENALTY WILL BE 10 YEARS OR A $15,000 FINE\nOR BOTH FOR THE FIRST OFFENSE. THE BILL\nALSO PROVIDES EXTRA-LONG SENTENCES FOR professional\nPEDDLERS INVOLVED IN A SO-CALLED NARCOTICS\nRING.\nTHE DRUG ABUSE CONTROL BILL NOW\nNEAR FINAL ENACTMENT ATTACKS THIS SOCIAL\nAND HEALTH PROBLEM IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.\nIT IS DESIGNED TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT\nTO OBTAIN DRUGS SUBJECT TO ABUSE; TO\nDETER INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPLOIT THE\nWEAKNESSES OF OTHERS FOR PERSONAL PROFIT\nTHROUGH THE ILLICIT SALE OF DRUGS, AND\nLIBRARY\n-6-\nTO PUNISH THOSE WHO ENGAGE IN THIS\nTRAFFIC; TO PROVIDE MEANS OF DETERRING\nINDIVIDUALS FROM ENGAGING IN THE ABUSE\nOF DRUGS; TO REHABILITATE THOSE WHO HAVE\nFALLEN INTO THIS TRAP; AND TO EDUCATE\nTHOSE WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE BE TEMPTED TO\nABUSE DRUGS.\nTHE BILL PROVIDES INCREASED\nAUTHORITY FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO\nCONTROL THE MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTION\nOF DRUGS SUBJECT TO ABUSE.\nTHE BILL PROVIDES THAT ALL PERSONS\nENGAGED IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF DRUGS,\nFROM THE MANUFACTURER DOWN TO THE FINAL\nDISPENSER, SHALL BE REGISTERED. THE\nREGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS FOR MANUFACTURERS\nAND WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS ARE OF SUCH\nA NATURE THAT IN SUBSTANCE THE BILL GIVES\nR.FORD\nLICENSING AUTHORITY TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL\n-7-\nRETAIL DRUGGISTS, PHYSICIANS, AND\nRESEARCHERS ARE REQUIRED TO BE REGISTERED.\nREGISTRATION OF THESE PERSONS BY THE\nATTORNEY GENERAL IS AS A MATTER OF RIGHT\nWHERE THE REGISTRANT IS ENGAGED IN\nACTIVITIES AUTHORIZED OR PERMITTED UNDER\nSTATE LAW.\nALL PERSONS IN THE DISTRIBUTION\nCHAIN ARE REQUIRED TO KEEP RECORDS SUBJECT\nTO INSPECTION.\nTHE BILL ALSO PERMITS THE BUREAU\nOF NARCOTICS AND DANGEROUS DRUGS TO\nIDENTIFY AND CHARACTERIZE FOR REGULATORY\nPURPOSES SUBSTANCES HAVING A POTENTIAL\nFOR ABUSE AND TO DEVELOP ADEQUATE\nSCREENING CAPABILITIES TO ASSURE THAT\nTHESE DRUGS ARE DRUGS THAT SHOULD BE\nIDENTIFIED AT AN EARLY STAGE BEFORE CONTROL.\nTHIS LEAVES TO THE NATIONAL\nGERALD FORD LIBRARY\n-8-\nINSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH THE BASIC\nRESEARCH INTO NARCOTICS AND DANGEROUS\nDRUGS, WHICH IS ITS PROPER FUNCTION.\nTHE CRIMINAL PENALTIES IN THE BILL\nARE MUCH MORE FLEXIBLE THAN THE PRESENT\nPENALTY STRUCTURE AND ALLOWS JUDGES\nDISCRETION IN SENTENCING OFFENDERS.\nTHE COMPREHENSIVE DRUG ABUSE\nPREVENTION AND CONTROL ACT OF 1970 IS\nEASILY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BILLS\nPASSED BY THE HOUSE THIS YEAR.\nTHE INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE\nCOMMITTEE STRUGGLED WITH IT FOR MONTHS,\nPONDERING THE BROAD PHILOSOPHICAL\nDIFFERENCES INVOLVED IN DECIDING ON AN\nAPPROACH TO THE DRUG PROBLEM.\nTHERE WAS A PRESSING NEED TO\nOVERHAUL EXISTING DRUG LAWS.\nIN PAST YEARS, HARD DRUGS LIKE\n-9-\nHEROIN AND COCAINE WERE CONTROLLED FROM\nA TAX STANDPOINT AND ENFORCEMENT LAY IN\nTHE TREASURY DEPARTMENT. MARIHUANA\nAPPEARED ON THE SCENE, AND ALTHOUGH IT\nWAS QUITE A DIFFERENT SUBSTANCE IT WAS\nPUSHED IN WITH THE OTHER SUBSTANCES THEN\nBEING CONTROLLED. THIS ACCOUNTS FOR THE\nSENTENCING STRUCTURE IN MARIHUANA CASES\nUP TO THIS POINT.\nWHEN A PATTERN OF ABUSE BEGAN TO\nDEVELOP IN THE USE OF PEP PILLS AND\nTRANQUILIZERS, IT WAS NATURAL THAT\nLEGISLATION TO CURB THEM WOULD COME FROM\nTHE COMMERCE COMMITTEE AS AN AMENDMENT TO\nTHE FOOD AND DRUG LAW.\nAT THAT TIME LSD WAS NO GREAT\nPROBLEM BUT HALLUCINOGENIC DRUGS WERE\nRECOGNIZED AS A POSSIBLE SOURCE OF TROUBLE\nAND SO THEY WERE INCLUDED IN H.R. 2.\nFORD & LIBRARY GERALD\n-10-\nAN ENTIRELY INDEPENDENT PENALTY\nSTRUCTURE WAS PROVIDED, AIMED AT WHAT\nSEEMED LIKE A SEPARATE AND DISTINCT\nPROBLEM.\nHAVING TWO APPROACHES TO DRUG\nABUSE ENFORCEMENT DID NOT MAKE SENSE.\nTHE DRUG CULTURE WHICH EMERGED IN AMERICA\nCERTAINLY DID NOT DIFFERENTIATE.\nCONSEQUENTLY LSD, MARIHUANA AND HARD\nDRUGS LIKE HEROIN GOT ALL MIXED IN\nTOGETHER.\nSORTING OUT THE OFFENDERS IN THE\nSAME GROUP FOR PURPOSES OF PROSECUTION\nAND SENTENCING POINTED UP THE NEED FOR A\nCOMPREHENSIVE APPROACH.\nTHE BILL NOT ONLY GOES THOROUGHLY\nINTO THE SUBJECT OF ENFORCEMENT BUT ALSO\nSETS FORTH AN ACCELERATED PROGRAM FOR\nREHABILITATION.\nGERALD R.FORD VIBRARY\n-11-\nRESCUING POTENTIAL DRUG ABUSERS\nAND SHORT-STOPPING DRUG ABUSE ARE ACTUALLY\nMORE IMPORTANT IN THE LONG RUN THAN\nTRYING TO SALVAGE THOSE WHOSE LIVES DRUG\nADDICTION HAS ALREADY WRECKED.\nMANY PROGRAMS TODAY, BOTH IN AND\nOUT OF GOVERNMENT, ARE FOCUSING UPON THE\nDRUG PROBLEM.\nTAKING THESE INTO CONSIDERATION,\nTHE HOUSE BILL EXERTS EVEN GREATER EFFORTS\nIN THE DIRECTION OF REHABILITATION. IT\nAMENDS THE PROGRAM WHICH CREATES COMMUNITY\nMENTAL HEALTH CENTERS TO MAKE THEM\nAVAILABLE TO DRUG DEPENDENT PATIENTS.\nIN ADDITION, EXTRA FUNDS AND EXTRA\nAUTHORITY ARE INCLUDED TO PUT SPECIAL\nFACILITIES INTO PLACES WHERE THE DRUG\nPROBLEM HITS THE HARDEST.\nIN THE ULTIMATE, THE SUCCESS OF\nGERALD R.FORD VIBRARA\n-12-\nTHE WAR ON DRUGS WILL DEPEND ON THE\nEXTENT AND QUALITY OF THE EDUCATION\nEFFORT ENGAGED IN BY GOVERNMENT AND\nPRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS COMBINED.\nLET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT\nTHE EDUCATION SECTION OF THE DRUG ABUSE\nPREVENTION AND CONTROL ACT.\nIT AUTHORIZES GRANTS AND CONTRACTS\nBY THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH, EDUCATION\nAND WELFARE, FIRST, FOR THE COLLECTION,\nPREPARATION AND DISSEMINATION OF\nEDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ON DRUG USE AND\nABUSE; AND, SECOND, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT\nAND EVALUATION OF PROGRAMS OF DRUG ABUSE\nEDUCATION DIRECTED AT THE GENERAL PUBLIC,\nSCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN, AND SPECIAL\nHIGH-RISK GROUPS.\nIN ADDITION TO THESE RESPONSIBILITIES,\nTHE HEW SECRETARY WILL TRAIN PERSONS TO\nGEBALOR FORD LIBRARY\nORGANIZE AND PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAMS OF\n-13-\nPUBLIC DRUG ABUSE EDUCATION; COORDINATE\nFEDERAL EFFORTS IN DRUG ABUSE EDUCATION;\nAND PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE\nSTATES AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES REGARDING\nDRUG ABUSE EDUCATION PROGRAMS.\nSO THIS IS THE DRUG ABUSE\nPREVENTION AND CONTROL ACT OF 1970, A\nMOST SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF LEGISLATION.\nIT BRINGS TOGETHER THE VARIOUS LAWS\nAFFECTING DRUGS, CODIFIES AND CONSOLIDATES\nTHEM. IT MAKES ENFORCEMENT MORE UNIFORM\nAND THE HANDLING OF OFFENDERS MORE\nFLEXIBLE AND THEREFORE MORE EFFECTIVE.\nSOME SAY ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN\nWEAKENED. OTHERS SAY JUST THE OPPOSITE.\nTHE THRUST BEHIND THE CHANGES IS\nTO PERMIT MORE DISCRETION IN THE HANDLING\nOF FIRST OFFENDERS WHILE BEARING DOWN HARD\nORD\nUPON THE PUSHER AND THE PEDDLER. LET ME\nLIBRARY\nPOINT OUT THAT MOST LAW ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE\n-14-\nBELIEVE THE HARSH MANDATORY SENTENCES IN\nTHE EXISTING NARCOTICS LAW HAVE BEEN A\nHINDRANCE RATHER THAN AN AID TO ENFORCEMENT.\nALL OF THE PENALTIES ARE DOUBLED\nFOR SECOND OFFENSES.\nI DO NOT THINK THE $403 MILLION\nAUTHORIZED FOR THE THREE-YEAR PROGRAM\nENCOMPASSED BY THE BILL IS TOO MUCH.\nDRUG ABUSE IS ALREADY COSTING US FAR MORE\nIN ACTUAL DOLLARS THAN THE AMOUNT PROVIDED\nIN THE DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL\nACT OF 1970.\nTHERE IS NO PRICE WHICH CAN BE\nSET UPON THE MISERY WHICH COMES TO FAMILIES\nAND TO INDIVIDUALS CAUGHT UP IN THIS\nHORRIBLE NET OF DRUG ADDICTION AND ITS\nINEVITABLE CONSEQUENCES.\nBUT A PRICE CAN BE SET UPON THE\nFORD & LIBRARY GERALD\nENORMOUS INCREASES IN ORGANIZED CRIME AND\n-15-\nSTREET CRIME TIED IN WITH THE SHARP RISE\nIN DRUG ADDICTION IN THE UNITED STATES --\nAND IT FAR EXCEEDS THE COST OF DRUG ABUSE\nCONTROL. IT IS GENERALLY RECOGNIZED THAT\nDRUG ABUSE IS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE\nTREMENDOUS INCREASE IN STREET CRIME IN\nTHE LAST DECADE.\nNO PIECE OF LEGISLATION CAN\nGUARANTEE TO LICK THE DRUG PROBLEM IN\nTHIS COUNTRY. THAT IS A JOB WHICH CALLS\nFOR EVERY KIND OF RECRUIT. EVERY ECHELON\nOF GOVERNMENT, EVERY PUBLIC AND PRIVATE\nORGANIZATION MUST COMMIT ITS RESOURCES\nAND ENERGY TO THE TASK. IF THAT HAPPENS,\nI THINK WE CAN MEET THE CHALLENGE.\n-- END --\nGERALD FORD LIBRARY\nDistribution 15 capies u/Mr. Ford\n+ advance to \"Amn. Druggist\"\nOffice Copy\n10/13/70 a.m.\nA SPEECH BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH.\nREPUBLICAN LEADER, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES\nBEFORE THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RETAIL DRUGGISTS\nAT ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY\n10:30 a.m., MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1970\nFOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY\nAs retail druggists you are engaged in the most popular business in America.\nCorner drugstores are being operated--literally, on street corners- by\nincreasing numbers of self-appointed merchandisers in illicit and dangerous drugs.\nNeither is the social problem of drug abuse limited to the illegal street\ncorner merchandiser and his customers. It also extends to the medicine cabinet in\nthe home.\nThis is the Age of Affluence and the Age of Anxiety. And so drug abuse is\nno longer restricted to any one part of our population. It is found at all social,\neconomic and age levels.\nToday it is all too easy for anyone of any age who does not like the way he\nlives to try a drug in search of euphoria or oblivion.\nThe drug dilemma facing this country has become a national concern. As the\ngeneral alarm over drug abuse has increased, so has the illicit use of drugs. This\ntrend must be reversed.\nThe Administration is making strenuous efforts to limit the supply of drugs\nof abuse--especially the narcotics. But because of the enormity of the task, we\nwill have to learn to use additional means to control the use of narcotics and\nother dangerous drugs.\nWe have already seen that threats and the imposition of severe punishment\nthrough criminal sanctions have not been an effective deterrent to drug abuse.\nThe point is that as knowledge of the effects of these drugs becomes more\nprecise the rules by which their use is proscribed must also be decided precisely.\nThis is the thrust of new legislation passed by both Houses of the Congress\nand now awaiting final shaping.\nNew legislation has been formulated which I think will finally enable us to\ndeal effectively with the menace of drug abuse.\nThis omnibus drug control bill recently passed by the House is one of the\nHouse's major actions of this session of the Congress. It is designed to crack\ndown--intelligently--on narcotics traffic and use.\n(more)\n-2-\nThe bill is a key part of the Administration's efforts to combat the growing\nspread of organized and street crime. It authorizes $403 million over three years\nfor programs ranging from research to law enforcement. It gives the Justice\nDepartment broad powers to deal with organized peddlers of narcotics while seeking\nto prevent one-time offenders from being branded as felons.\nThe bill recognizes that a major method of cracking down on drug abuse is to\nstrike at the illegal traffic in narcotics.\nWhile the penalty for possession of narcotics for one's own personal use has\nbeen reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, the penalties for distribution of\nnarcotics have been toughened. Penalties for first offense conviction on narcotics\npeddling have been increased to five years in prison or a $15,000 fine or both. For\ndistribution for profit to a person under 18 years of age, the penalty will be\n10 years or a $15,000 fine or both for the first offense. The bill also provides\nextra-long sentences for peddlers involved in a so-called narcotics ring.\nThe drug abuse control bill now near final enactment attacks this social and\nhealth problem in a number of ways.\nIt is designed to make it difficult to obtain drugs subject to abuse; to\ndeter individuals who exploit the weaknesses of others for personal profit through\nthe illicit sale of drugs, and to punish those who engage in this traffic; to\nprovide means of deterring individuals from engaging in the abuse of drugs; to\nrehabilitate those who have fallen into this trap; and to educate those who might\notherwise be tempted to abuse drugs.\nThe bill provides increased authority for the Attorney General to control\nthe manufacture and distribution of drugs subject to abuse.\nThe bill provides that all persons engaged in the distribution of drugs, from\nthe manufacturer down to the final dispenser, shall be registered. The registration\nrequirements for manufacturers and wholesale distributors are of such a nature that\nin substance the bill gives licensing authority to the Attorney General.\nRetail druggists, physicians, and researchers are required to be registered.\nRegistration of these persons by the Attorney General is as a matter of right where\nthe registrant is engaged in activities authorized or permitted under State law.\nAll persons in the distribution chain are required to keep records subject\nto inspection.\nThe bill also permits the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs to identify\nand characterize for regulatory purposes substances having a potential for abuse\n(more)\n-3-\nand to develop adequate screening capabilities to assure that these drugs are drugs\nthat should be identified at an early stage before control.\nThis leaves to the National Institute of Mental Health the basic research\ninto narcotics and dangerous drugs, which is its proper function.\nThe criminal penalties in the bill are much more flexible than the present\npenalty structure and allows judges discretion in sentencing offenders.\nThe Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 is easily\none of the most important bills passed by the House this year.\nThe Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee struggled with it for months,\npondering the broad philosophical differences involved in deciding on an approach\nto the drug problem.\nThere was a pressing need to overhaul existing drug laws.\nIn past years, hard drugs like heroin and cocaine were controlled from a\ntax standpoint and enforcement lay in the Treasury Department. Marihuana appeared\non the scene, and although it was quite a different substance it was pushed in with\nthe other substances then being controlled. This accounts for the sentencing\nstructure in marihuana cases up to this point.\nWhen a pattern of abuse began to develop in the use of pep pills and\ntranquilizers, it was natural that legislation to curb them would come from the\nCommerce Committee as an amendment to the food and drug law.\nAt that time LSD was no great problem but hallucinogenic drugs were recognized\nas a possible source of trouble and so they were included in H.R. 2.\nAn entirely independent penalty structure was provided, aimed at what seemed\nlike a separate and distinct problem.\nHaving two approaches to drug abuse enforcement did not make sense. The\ndrug culture which emerged in America certainly did not differentiate. Consequently\nLSD, marihuana and hard drugs like heroin got all mixed in together.\nSorting out the offenders in the same group for purposes of prosecution and\nsentencing pointed up the need for a comprehensive approach.\nThe bill not only goes thoroughly into the subject of enforcement but also\nsets forth an accelerated program for rehabilitation.\nRescuing potential drug abusers and short-stopping drug abuse are actually\nmore important in the long run than trying to salvage those whose lives drug\naddiction has already wrecked.\nMany programs today, both in and out of government, are focusing upon the\ndrug problem.\n(more)\n-4-\nTaking these into consideration, the House bill exerts even greater efforts\nin the direction of rehabilitation. It amends the program which creates community\nmental health centers to make them available to drug dependent patients. In\naddition, extra funds and extra authority are included to put special facilities\ninto places where the drug problem hits the hardest.\nIn the ultimate, the success of the war on drugs will depend on the extent\nand quality of the education effort engaged in by Government and private organiza-\ntions combined.\nLet me tell you a little bit about the education section of the Drug Abuse\nPrevention and Control Act.\nIt authorizes grants and contracts by the Secretary of Health, Education and\nWelfare, first, for the collection, preparation and dissemination of educational\nmaterials on drug use and abuse; and, second, for the development and evaluation\nof programs of drug abuse education directed at the general public, school-age\nchildren, and special high-risk groups.\nIn addition to these responsibilities, the HEW Secretary will train persons\nto organize and participate in programs of public drug abuse education; coordinate\nFederal efforts in drug abuse education; and provide technical assistance to the\nStates and local communities regarding drug abuse education programs.\nSo this is the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, a most\nsignificant piece of legislation. It brings together the various laws affecting\ndrugs, codifies and consolidates them. It makes enforcement more uniform and the\nhandling of offenders more flexible and therefore more effective.\nSome say enforcement has been weakened. Others say just the opposite.\nThe thrust behind the changes is to permit more discretion in the handling\nof first offenders while bearing down hard upon the pusher and the peddler. Let\nme point out that most law enforcement people believe the harsh mandatory sentences\nin the existing narcotics law have been a hindrance rather than an aid to enforce-\nment.\nAll of the penalties are doubled for second offenses.\nI do not think the $403 million authorized for the three-year program\nencompassed by the bill is too much. Drug abuse is already costing us far more in\nactual dollars than the amount provided in the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control\nAct of 1970.\nThere is no price which can be set upon the misery which comes to families\n(more)\n-5-\nand to individuals caught up in this horrible net of drug addiction and its\ninevitable consequences.\nBut a price can be set upon the enormous increases in organized crime and\nstreet crime tied in with the sharp rise in drug addiction in the United States--\nand it far exceeds the cost of drug abuse control. It is generally recognized that\ndrug abuse is the primary cause of the tremendous increase in street crime in the\nlast decade.\nNo piece of legislation can guarantee to lick the drug problem in this\ncountry. That is a job which calls for every kind of recruit. Every echelon of\ngovernment, every public and private organization must commit its resources and\nenergy to the task. If that happens, I think we can meet the challenge.\n###\n15 copies up ma. Ford\nadvance copy to Comm Druggist\nOffice copy\nA SPEECH BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R--MICH.\nREPUBLICAN LEADER, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES\nBEFORE THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RETAIL DRUGGISTS\nAT ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY\n10:30 a.m., MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1970\nFOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY\nAs retail druggists you are engaged in the most popular business in America.\nCorner drugstores are being operated--literally, on street corners-by\nincreasing numbers of self-appointed merchandisers in illicit and dangerous drugs.\nNeither is the social problem of drug abuse limited to the illegal street\ncorner merchandiser and his customers. It also extends to the medicine cabinet in\nthe home.\nThis is the Age of Affluence and the Age of Anxiety. And so drug abuse is\nno longer restricted to any one part of our population. It is found at all social,\neconomic and age levels.\nToday it is all too easy for anyone of any age who does not like the way he\nlives to try a drug in search of euphoria or oblivion.\nThe drug dilemma facing this country has become a national concern. As the\ngeneral alarm over drug abuse has increased, so has the illicit use of drugs. This\ntrend must be reversed.\nThe Administration is making strenuous efforts to limit the supply of drugs\nof abuse--especially the narcotics. But because of the enormity of the task, we\nwill have to learn to use additional means to control the use of narcotics and\nother dangerous drugs.\nWe have already seen that threats and the imposition of severe punishment\nthrough criminal sanctions have not been an effective deterrent to drug abuse.\nThe point is that as knowledge of the effects of these drugs becomes more\nprecise the rules by which their use is proscribed must also be decided precisely.\nThis is the thrust of new legislation passed by both Houses of the Congress\nand now awaiting final shaping.\nNew legislation has been formulated which I think will finally enable us to\ndeal effectively with the menace of drug abuse.\nThis omnibus drug control bill recently passed by the House is one of the\nHouse's major actions of this session of the Congress. It is designed to crack\ndown--intelligently--on narcotics traffic and use.\n(more)\n-.2-\nThe bill is a key part of the Administration's efforts to combat the growing\nspread of organized and street crime. It authorizes $403 million over three years\nfor programs ranging from research to law enforcement. It gives the Justice\nDepartment broad powers to deal with organized peddlers of narcotics while seeking\nto prevent one-time offenders from being branded as felons.\nThe bill recognizes that a major method of cracking down on drug abuse is to\nstrike at the illegal traffic in narcotics.\nWhile the penalty for possession of narcotics for one's own personal use has\nbeen reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, the penalties for distribution of\nnarcotics have been toughened. Penalties for first offense conviction on narcotics\npeddling have been increased to five years in prison or a $15,000 fine or both. For\ndistribution for profit to a person under 18 years of age, the penalty will be\n10 years or a $15,000 fine or both for the first offense. The bill also provides\nextra-long sentences for peddlers involved in a so-called narcotics ring.\nThe drug abuse control bill now near final enactment attacks this social and\nhealth problem in a number of ways.\nIt is designed to make it difficult to obtain drugs subject to abuse; to\ndeter individuals who exploit the weaknesses of others for personal profit through\nthe illicit sale of drugs, and to punish those who engage in this traffic; to\nprovide means of deterring individuals from engaging in the abuse of drugs; to\nrehabilitate those who have fallen into this trap; and to educate those who might\notherwise be tempted to abuse drugs.\nThe bill provides increased authority for the Attorney General to control\nthe manufacture and distribution of drugs subject to abuse.\nThe bill provides that all persons engaged in the distribution of drugs, from\nthe manufacturer down to the final dispenser, shall be registered. The registration\nrequirements for manufacturers and wholesale distributors are of such a nature that\nin substance the bill gives licensing authority to the Attorney General.\nRetail druggists, physicians, and researchers are required to be registered.\nRegistration of these persons by the Attorney General is as a matter of right where\nthe registrant is engaged in activities authorized or permitted under State law.\nAll persons in the distribution chain are required to keep records subject\nto inspection.\nThe bill also permits the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs to identify\nand characterize for regulatory purposes substances having a potential for abuse\n(more)\n-3-\nand to develop adequate screening capabilities to assure that these drugs are drugs\nthat should be identified at an early stage before control.\nThis leaves to the National Institute of Mental Health the basic research\ninto narcotics and dangerous drugs, which is its proper function.\nThe criminal penalties in the bill are much more flexible than the present\npenalty structure and allows judges discretion in sentencing offenders.\nThe Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 is easily\none of the most important bills passed by the House this year.\nThe Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee struggled with it for months,\npondering the broad philosophical differences involved in deciding on an approach\nto the drug problem.\nThere was a pressing need to overhaul existing drug laws.\nIn past years, hard drugs like heroin and cocaine were controlled from a\ntax standpoint and enforcement lay in the Treasury Department. Marihuana appeared\non the scene, and although it was quite a different substance it was pushed in with\nthe other substances then being controlled. This accounts for the sentencing\nstructure in marihuana cases up to this point.\nWhen a pattern of abuse began to develop in the use of pep pills and\ntranquilizers, it was natural that legislation to curb them would come from the\nCommerce Committee as an amendment to the food and drug law.\nAt that time LSD was no great problem but hallucinogenic drugs were recognized\nas a possible source of trouble and so they were included in H.R. 2.\nAn entirely independent penalty structure was provided, aimed at what seemed\nlike a separate and distinct problem.\nHaving two approaches to drug abuse enforcement did not make sense. The\ndrug culture which emerged in America certainly did not differentiate. Consequently\nLSD, marihuana and hard drugs like heroin got all mixed in together.\nSorting out the offenders in the same group for purposes of prosecution and\nsentencing pointed up the need for a comprehensive approach.\nThe bill not only goes thoroughly into the subject of enforcement but also\nsets forth an accelerated program for rehabilitation.\nRescuing potential drug abusers and short-stopping drug abuse are actually\nmore important in the long run than trying to salvage those whose lives drug\naddiction has already wrecked.\nMany programs today, both in and out of government, are focusing upon the\ndrug problem.\n(more)\n-4-\nTaking these into consideration, the House bill exerts even greater efforts\nin the direction of rehabilitation. It amends the program which creates community\nmental health centers to make them available to drug dependent patients. In\naddition, extra funds and extra authority are included to put special facilities\ninto places where the drug problem hits the hardest.\nIn the ultimate, the success of the war on drugs will depend on the extent\nand quality of the education effort engaged in by Government and private organiza-\ntions combined.\nLet me tell you a little bit about the education section of the Drug Abuse\nPrevention and Control Act.\nIt authorizes grants and contracts by the Secretary of Health, Education and\nWelfare, first, for the collection, preparation and dissemination of educational\nmaterials on drug use and abuse; and, second, for the development and evaluation\nof programs of drug abuse education directed at the general public, school-age\nchildren, and special high-risk groups.\nIn addition to these responsibilities, the HEW Secretary will train persons\nto organize and participate in programs of public drug abuse education; coordinate\nFederal efforts in drug abuse education; and provide technical assistance to the\nStates and local communities regarding drug abuse education programs.\nSo this is the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, a most\nsignificant piece of legislation. It brings together the various laws affecting\ndrugs, codifies and consolidates them. It makes enforcement more uniform and the\nhandling of offenders more flexible and therefore more effective.\nSome say enforcement has been weakened. Others say just the opposite.\nThe thrust behind the changes is to permit more discretion in the handling\nof first offenders while bearing down hard upon the pusher and the peddler. Let\nme point out that most law enforcement people believe the harsh mandatory sentences\nin the existing narcotics law have been a hindrance rather than an aid to enforce-\nment.\nAll of the penalties are doubled for second offenses.\nI do not think the $403 million authorized for the three-year program\nencompassed by the bill is too much. Drug abuse is already costing us far more in\nactual dollars than the amount provided in the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control\nAct of 1970.\nThere is no price which can be set upon the misery which comes to families\n(more)\n-5-\nand to individuals caught up in this horrible net of drug addiction and its\ninevitable consequences.\nBut a price can be set upon the enormous increases in organized crime and\nstreet crime tied in with the sharp rise in drug addiction in the United States--\nand it far exceeds the cost of drug abuse control. It is generally recognized that\ndrug abuse is the primary cause of the tremendous increase in street crime in the\nlast decade.\nNo piece of legislation can guarantee to lick the drug problem in this\ncountry. That is a job which calls for every kind of recruit. Every echelon of\ngovernment, every public and private organization must commit its resources and\nenergy to the task. If that happens, I think we can meet the challenge.\n# # #\nA SPEECH BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH.\nREPUBLICAN LEADER, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES\nBEFORE THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RETAIL DRUGGISTS\nAT ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY\n10:30 a.m., MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1970\nFOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY\nAs retail druggists you are engaged in the most popular business in America.\nCorner drugstores are being operated literally, on street corners- by\nincreasing numbers of self-appointed merchandisers in illicit and dangerous drugs.\nNeither is the social problem of drug abuse limited to the illegal street\ncorner merchandiser and his customers. It also extends to the medicine cabinet in\nthe home.\nThis is the Age of Affluence and the Age of Anxiety. And so drug abuse is\nno longer restricted to any one part of our population. It is found at all social,\neconomic and age levels.\nToday it is all too easy for anyone of any age who does not like the way he\nlives to try a drug in search of euphoria or oblivion.\nThe drug dilemma facing this country has become a national concern. As the\ngeneral alarm over drug abuse has increased, so has the illicit use of drugs. This\ntrend must be reversed.\nThe Administration is making strenuous efforts to limit the supply of drugs\nof abuse--especially the narcotics. But because of the enormity of the task, we\nwill have to learn to use additional means to control the use of narcotics and\nother dangerous drugs.\nWe have already seen that threats and the imposition of severe punishment\nthrough criminal sanctions have not been an effective deterrent to drug abuse.\nThe point is that as knowledge of the effects of these drugs becomes more\nprecise the rules by which their use is proscribed must also be decided precisely.\nThis is the thrust of new legislation passed by both Houses of the Congress\nand now awaiting final shaping.\nNew legislation has been formulated which I think will finally enable us to\ndeal effectively with the menace of drug abuse.\nThis omnibus drug control bill recently passed by the House is one of the\nHouse's major actions of this session of the Congress. It is designed to crack\ndown--intelligently--on narcotics traffic and use.\n(more)\n-2-\nThe bill is a key part of the Administration's efforts to combat the growing\nspread of organized and street crime. It authorizes $403 million over three years\nfor programs ranging from research to law enforcement. It gives the Justice\nDepartment broad powers to deal with organized peddlers of narcotics while seeking\nto prevent one-time offenders from being branded as felons.\nThe bill recognizes that a major method of cracking down on drug abuse is to\nstrike at the illegal traffic in narcotics.\nWhile the penalty for possession of narcotics for one's own personal use has\nbeen reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, the penalties for distribution of\nnarcotics have been toughened. Penalties for first offense conviction on narcotics\npeddling have been increased to five years in prison or a $15,000 fine or both. For\ndistribution for profit to a person under 18 years of age, the penalty will be\n10 years or a $15,000 fine or both for the first offense. The bill also provides\nextra-long sentences for peddlers involved in a so-called narcotics ring.\nThe drug abuse control bill now near final enactment attacks this social and\nhealth problem in a number of ways.\nIt is designed to make it difficult to obtain drugs subject to abuse; to\ndeter individuals who exploit the weaknesses of others for personal profit through\nthe illicit sale of drugs, and to punish those who engage in this traffic; to\nprovide means of deterring individuals from engaging in the abuse of drugs; to\nrehabilitate those who have fallen into this trap; and to educate those who might\notherwise be tempted to abuse drugs.\nThe bill provides increased authority for the Attorney General to control\nthe manufacture and distribution of drugs subject to abuse.\nThe bill provides that all persons engaged in the distribution of drugs, from\nthe manufacturer down to the final dispenser, shall be registered. The registration\nrequirements for manufacturers and wholesale distributors are of such a nature that\nin substance the bill gives licensing authority to the Attorney General.\nRetail druggists, physicians, and researchers are required to be registered.\nRegistration of these persons by the Attorney General is as a matter of right where\nthe registrant is engaged in activities authorized or permitted under State law.\nAll persons in the distribution chain are required to keep records subject\nto inspection.\nThe bill also permits the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs to identify\nand characterize for regulatory purposes substances having a potential for abuse\n(more)\n-3-\nand to develop adequate screening capabilities to assure that these drugs are drugs\nthat should be identified at an early stage before control.\nThis leaves to the National Institute of Mental Health the basic research\ninto narcotics and dangerous drugs, which is its proper function.\nThe criminal penalties in the bill are much more flexible than the present\npenalty structure and allows judges discretion in sentencing offenders.\nThe Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 is easily\none of the most important bills passed by the House this year.\nThe Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee struggled with it for months,\npondering the broad philosophical differences involved in deciding on an approach\nto the drug problem.\nThere was a pressing need to overhaul existing drug laws.\nIn past years, hard drugs like heroin and cocaine were controlled from a\ntax standpoint and enforcement lay in the Treasury Department. Marihuana appeared\non the scene, and although it was quite a different substance it was pushed in with\nthe other substances then being controlled. This accounts for the sentencing\nstructure in marihuana cases up to this point.\nWhen a pattern of abuse began to develop in the use of pep pills and\ntranquilizers, it was natural that legislation to curb them would come from the\nCommerce Committee as an amendment to the food and drug law.\nAt that time LSD was no great problem but hallucinogenic drugs were recognized\nas a possible source of trouble and so they were included in H.R. 2.\nAn entirely independent penalty structure was provided, aimed at what seemed\nlike a separate and distinct problem.\nHaving two approaches to drug abuse enforcement did not make sense. The\ndrug culture which emerged in America certainly did not differentiate. Consequently\nLSD, marihuana and hard drugs like heroin got all mixed in together.\nSorting out the offenders in the same group for purposes of prosecution and\nsentencing pointed up the need for a comprehensive approach.\nThe bill not only goes thoroughly into the subject of enforcement but also\nsets forth an accelerated program for rehabilitation.\nRescuing potential drug abusers and short-stopping drug abuse are actually\nmore important in the long run than trying to salvage those whose lives drug\naddiction has already wrecked.\nMany programs today, both in and out of government, are focusing upon the\ndrug problem.\n(more)\n-4-\nTaking these into consideration, the House bill exerts even greater efforts\nin the direction of rehabilitation. It amends the program which creates community\nmental health centers to make them available to drug dependent patients. In\naddition, extra funds and extra authority are included to put special facilities\ninto places where the drug problem hits the hardest.\nIn the ultimate, the success of the war on drugs will depend on the extent\nand quality of the education effort engaged in by Government and private organiza-\ntions combined.\nLet me tell you a little bit about the education section of the Drug Abuse\nPrevention and Control Act.\nIt authorizes grants and contracts by the Secretary of Health, Education and\nWelfare, first, for the collection, preparation and dissemination of educational\nmaterials on drug use and abuse; and, second, for the development and evaluation\nof programs of drug abuse education directed at the general public, school-age\nchildren, and special high-risk groups.\nIn addition to these responsibilities, the HEW Secretary will train persons\nto organize and participate in programs of public drug abuse education; coordinate\nFederal efforts in drug abuse education; and provide technical assistance to the\nStates and local communities regarding drug abuse education programs.\nSo this is the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, a most\nsignificant piece of legislation. It brings together the various laws affecting\ndrugs, codifies and consolidates them. It makes enforcement more uniform and the\nhandling of offenders more flexible and therefore more effective.\nSome say enforcement has been weakened. Others say just the opposite.\nThe thrust behind the changes is to permit more discretion in the handling\nof first offenders while bearing down hard upon the pusher and the peddler. Let\nme point out that most law enforcement people believe the harsh mandatory sentences\nin the existing narcotics law have been a hindrance rather than an aid to enforce-\nment.\nAll of the penalties are doubled for second offenses.\nI do not think the $403 million authorized for the three-year program\nencompassed by the bill is too much. Drug abuse is already costing us far more in\nactual dollars than the amount provided in the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control\nAct of 1970.\nThere is no price which can be set upon the misery which comes to families\n(more)\n-5-\nand to individuals caught up in this horrible net of drug addiction and its\ninevitable consequences.\nBut a price can be set upon the enormous increases in organized crime and\nstreet crime tied in with the sharp rise in drug addiction in the United States--\nand it far exceeds the cost of drug abuse control. It is generally recognized that\ndrug abuse is the primary cause of the tremendous increase in street crime in the\nlast decade.\nNo piece of legislation can guarantee to lick the drug problem in this\ncountry. That is a job which calls for every kind of recruit. Every echelon of\ngovernment, every public and private organization must commit its resources and\nenergy to the task. If that happens, I think we can meet the challenge.\n###"
}