THE ILLEGAL TRAFFIC
IN DANGEROUS DRUGS

Before any new drug can be offered commercially-either on a doctor's prescription or for direct consumer purchase-it is reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration in Washington for safety and effectiveness. Some drugs are sold "over the counter" (OTC)— that is, directly to the consumer without a doctor's prescription. However, the most potent drugs are required by law to be sold only on a physician's prescription. Such drugs carry a statement on the manufacturer's label that says: "Caution-Federal law prohibits dispensing without prescription."

HOW PRESCRIPTION-ONLY DRUGS
GET INTO ILLEGAL CHANNELS

Normally, and legally, drugs move from manufacturer to wholesaler to community or hospital pharmacy. Some manufacturers also sell to pharmacies and hospitals direct, without the intervening wholesaler.

MANUFACTURER

WHOLESALER

COMMUNITY PHARMACY OR HOSPITAL PHARMACY

Pilferage or illegal sale at any of these distribution points can move drugs from the legal channels of distribution into the illicit trade. Clandestine drug "manufacturers"-operating in garages, basements and warehouses are major sources of illegal and, often, contaminated drugs. Another source is the manufacturer who uses a

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legal front to turn out quantities of drugs for illegal sale. (Many authorities feel that this is the principal source of drugs found in illegal channels.) Furthermore, there are phony "wholesalers" who purchase drugs from manufacturers who are either operating illegally or are careless in checking the legitimacy of the purchaser.

Manufacturers of counterfeit drug products contribute to the abuse problem because their products frequently move through unauthorized channels. Many of these counterfeits are, in appearance, exact duplicates of the legitimate brand name drug. However, in therapeutic effect they are often deficient due to inadequate quality control. Many may be dangerous due to contamination.

"Repackagers" may also constitute a danger. These people break down large packages of drugs into smaller sizes and offer them for sale. In some cases, these supplies wind up in the hands of the drug abuser.

The "bulk peddler" is an important link in the traffic in illicit drugs. He enters the traffic at any one of the sources of supply. His only requirements are a ready supply and a ready market. He deals in hundreds of thousands of tablets or capsules and sells them to truck stops, bars, newsstands and individuals. These "retailers" then sell the drugs to the abuser.

FRAUDULENT MEANS OF OBTAINING DRUGS

In addition to the many illegal sources of prescription drugs, users
have discovered fraudulent ways of obtaining their supplies from
"innocent" sources.

Forging prescription orders is a favorite method. Altering the
legitimate prescription is another: the user changes the number of
tablets or capsules or increases the dosage strength. Abusers will often
steal prescription pads from doctors or have their own printed.
Occasionally, the user will impersonate a physician and telephone a
"prescription" to the pharmacist.

Many of these attempts are foiled by alert pharmacists. Most
pharmacists are familiar with the signatures and prescribing habits
of the doctors in their area. When something unusual comes up,

they telephone the physician for verification. If there is no verification, pharmacists often call local police or state or Federal agents. Many drug abusers become proficient at inducing physicians to write prescriptions for them. They study medical journals and relate a lengthy medical history that calls for a stimulant, barbiturate or narcotic. Or the abuser may tell the doctor about the wonderful relief he received from a certain drug that his former doctor prescribed.

TRAFFIC IN ILLEGAL DRUGS

As every officer knows, the illegal traffic in narcotics is controlled through an international underworld conspiracy. Its principal product is heroin, an opiate which has no legitimate medical use in the U.S. and which cannot be legally used or possessed in this country. Most heroin comes from opium made from poppies grown illicitly in Turkey, Afghanistan, Mexico and Southeast Asia. Opium grown in Turkey is smuggled through Lebanon to France or Syria where the raw product is refined into heroin for distribution all over the world. The bulk of this heroin, however, is smuggled into the United States and Canada.

Because of the severe restrictions in force against marihuana, most of it seen in the United States has been smuggled in from Mexico over a thinly patrolled border. Some marihuana is illegally grown in the United States.

Since LSD in crude form is relatively easy to synthesize, the illicit market in this country is supplied primarily by unscrupulous people with the ability, equipment and raw materials to manufacture the drug.