H is for joy; Addiction: West and east coast

The following program is produced as a public service feature by the radio division of the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. With cooperation from the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and the Illinois division of narcotic control. WE PRESENT. H is for joy. We don't have too much of a problem and the northern part of it but we don't have it in Southern California here with the troops at the 17 18 19 20 year old age so I am of course on up from there. The old timers. Yeah there are many women included in this and he figures there are quite a few women

but the majority that has this racially diverse this is Mr Howard Chappell around the Los Angeles district gaijin for the United States narcotics bureau when we closed the last program of ages for joy Mr Chappell was telling us about the drug addiction problems in his district in the West and how California's problem differs from other parts of the United States. Today we'll hear the rest of Mr. Chappell's comments. Listen closely now as he continues discussing California's problem. A large Mexican population here makes people of Mexican descent and there is a large amount of addiction among that group among the colored group but that's not as bad here as it is in other parts of the country and what we don't have. Something unusual about Roxanne if I believe in that is that we can have a large number of addicts coming from fairly good homes is that right. People who come from good backgrounds families are responsible people seem to be wayward kids are given a route to an

argument for getting off on the wrong track. Thank you. Any other characteristics your problem out there in California which might be unique to your kind of country we actually have of course the proximity of the Mexican border. We have a situation here where I don't doubt it but two or three friends can jump in his automobile and he can drive in a matter of two hours or two and a half hours I WANT OUR he can drive on the other border areas and with a relatively small amount of money make your relatively small purchase. Yes you can either stay in Mexico new heroin or he can bring back a relatively small amount with him. It makes it difficult to get where we work on me. They don't have for example in New York but it was from the start by the dates in order to make it uneconomic the crime. Situation at large don't ever have to maintain a large bad history with all of our lives. But he's ready to do business at any time and he will not have to

delay or starve his customers while he waits for a big load to come from across the ocean somewhere. Yes already in southern California the proximity of the border. I don't have to run down and pick up an ounce or two out in very short order and be back in business. It takes one hour to make three ounces out of it and he's got three ounces and we felt that he to go back to Dave more. Do I see a large percentage of drugs that come from Mexico. Get to see a large amount of our heroin particularly in almost all of our marijuana comes from Mexico the heroin however which comes out of Mexico is not. Solitarily of Mexican origin by that I mean it's not necessarily heroin which has been converted from opium poppies or from the opium which is grown in Mexico it may be heroin which is being can't ship. Yes I don't know any other source.

Well yes recently I believe it just last year we cleaned up a case of an agent in Los Angeles made a purchase of an ounce of heroin here he followed that up into the area from the rest of the Chinese very happy. Got any question of a doubt that come over well over 200 pounds of pure heroin have been brought in to the West Coast here and if it had originated in the US what seems to be the status of the marijuana problem at present. Well a marijuana problem starts out with the young punks in the juvenile that we got here smoking marijuana thinking that they're smart when it get them leads them on to something more dangerous. Heroin primarily. I do the same penalties meted out for marijuana sales as for the other type. Under the federal statute yes yes but not according to local and state. Well the local laws in the state of California are quite cute.

That leads me to this question. OK considering the status of the laws in California what type of changes would you like to see adopted if any to help any situation. Well very recently anthrax at the home get away. What I'd like to hear I can just tell you what the supervisors of the five counties surrounding greater Los Angeles recently have done may have had a board of supervisors. These vary by county are the wretched group that control the county. All five of them have passed resolutions requesting that special session of the legislature be carved out here in order to act. But wait. Legislation which would have minimum mandatory penalties for second offenders situation look you know this type of thing would have much support I mean support from the from the legislators. Well if you're such a thing would be adopting that's me driving and you know it does not

appear that it will be adopted the legislature is not getting very picky right. Until 1961 get regular session so that the governor Governor Brown put this special session on the calendar called a special session to consider the narcotic problem it will not be considered here. In what ways does your office nearest state and local departments here in California. Well every case where the local officers are able to develop on their own and they develop a source of the fire which may be out of the country or it may be in a neighboring city or in another state that we can only work right along with them and using the federal authority cross over lines which they otherwise could not cross. I see how it helps in those areas. One final question. Mr. Chappell what sort of a picture do you foresee in the near future. Yeah we got a problem there on the West Coast.

Well I believe that in all probability the right to fight for well out here by making 61 more stringent penalties are not met any more stringent but legislation which will require mandatory penalties for second or third or fourth or fifth offenders present revolving door system of the kind of countries in the state of Kalak a large degree is responsible for the large number of addicts on the streets today and when and when not the choice and has been corrected. I believe the major steps necessary to wipe out this problem out here will have been a copy just as it was stated. That was Mr Howard Chappell of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics west coast history Gage and the West Coast has a tough problem. It's not one that can be quickly or easily solved. Time is needed to educate the public to the danger of narcotic addiction and the legislators they need education as to the types of laws that are best suited to cope with their own particular problems. Constructive and corrective progress never comes

easily. However while California's problem is an internal one. Others outside of the state are affected by its force. In Washington D.C. HJN slinger the United States Commissioner of narcotics has this to say about drug addiction in the state of California. California has a law saying that it's way to control the weakest legislation of the country. Though no plans for our civilization set up by the presidents interdepartmental Committee Bob Barr comics is baiting you people are saying this for several days to get him to Beijing to beat the traffic at that state particularly to pay a dime in relation to federal state and city cooperation to try to bring it under control. Part of California's problem and one of its biggest tasks is to awaken its apathetic citizens and make them think creatively and intelligently what is needed is not an

emotional outburst but a common valuation of all the circumstances and then a constructive and effective conclusion can be reached when one of the problem in the largest city in the United States the city at the other coastline of the other ocean New York City. Again Mr. HJN slinger York City their plan. So I get that already paid drug addicts probably on a civil commit the basis rather than on the criminal. That's it. New York has plans plans to improve what are they. We were curious too. So we placed a long distance call to New York City narcotics bureau and spoke with Mr. George Gaffney the Federal Bureau agent for that district. I Mr. gap. Tell us just what states are included in your district. Well this district includes the entire state of New York and the 11 other counties in Jersey that population area of about 18 million.

How many agents are are currently under your supervision there. I have about an average of about 86 87 agents. Well now just how widespread is that diction in your district. Well I had a question in New York is a rather risk serious problem out of the entire national grouping of addicts that we have here of 45 percent. We have Approximately 21000 at a slightly under 21000 active addict. What is the average age of these addicts. Well about half of them are around the age group of 21 to 30. I would say probably four percent of them are under 21. What percentage would be women. Well I don't have that particular figure in economy here present time but I would say that it's considerably less women involved and then could you give us some percentages ethnically. Well as

far as the racial breakdown is concerned I would say about the 8 percent are colored and we have about another 8 and 9 percent Puerto Rican and the remaining every senator would be put up among the other groups that use New York City's problem confined to certain geographic areas within the city. Well I assume that you're speaking now of the problem centers. Far as addiction is concerned yes. Well actually the main problem with him not only be the in the the hollow many column areas in New York but we have all the trouble spots in the central Manhattan over 100 sections over there so that it is diverse. Why would you say that this is true. Why are certain areas seemingly more prominent in this. Well actually there are areas that come in

and run down condition. There are such that they breed many types of criminals and many types of criminal pursuits course the drug addiction is just one facet of that by social behavior. So many of the factors many of the factors that go into causing drug addiction are present and they are then the very next time we will continue our discussion about the present status of addiction in the United States. We will finish the picture of the East Coast then talk to Mr. George Belkin Mr. Albert cook about the current situation in the Midwest. Next time then we will point out a few more reasons why h is not for joining. Get the book.

Script by Edwin at production by below Byrd This is Ted Seeley speaking the preceding tape recorded program was made available to this station by the National Association of educational broadcasters. This is the NOAA B Radio Network.