The legitimate wholesale price for 500 tablets of 150 mg. each is approximately $18.25 or 3.7 cents a tablet. When methaqualone is diverted at the wholesale level the profits are enormous. Reports indicate that there have been instances of significant diversion. The subcommittee recently learned of the diversion of 600.000 methaqua'one tablets from a Parke, Davis & Co. warehouse in Detroit, Michigan. These tablets were reportedly diverted over a 10-day period in November 1972. These methaqualone tablets would bring from $300,000 to $600,00 on the street. The methaqualone diverted in this one case could provide each of the 24,000 students at Wayne State University in Detroit with 25 "sopors." The BNDD recently report 2 additional cases involving diversion of substantial amounts of methaqualone: (1) The case of a defendant pharmacist in the Rocky Mountain area who reported to an undercover agent that methaqualone was readily available, and that he had 250,000 tablets for sale. In addition, he admitted that he diverted 300,00 tablets. A BNDD agent reports that this pharmacist had revealed that, for the past year and half, he shipped large quantities (25,000 to 200,000 units) to customers in Boston, New York and Columbis, Ohio; (2) A case in which an audit performed by the state phramacy board revealed a shortage of between 300,000 and 400,000 methaqualone tablets while in the possession of a wholesaler, and disclosed that the firm had made several shipments to nonexistent firms. Recently the Baltimore County Police, Narcotics Division, smashed a drug ring consisting of about 21 persons at a Maryland high school. About 2,800 methaqualone tablets were recovered. A recent interview with a methaqualone dealer revealed that he had moved 30,000 "sopors" last year. He commented in part: "I'm No. 2 man here. My man has moved more than a million, but then he's more into moving pills than I am. "I only handle Rorer. The brand name's Quaalude. I get my stuff in sealed bottles, untampered with, straight from the laboratory." Two weeks ago a "sopor" dealer interviewed on national television commented as follows: "Dealer: I will get maybe 5,000 of these, 300 mg. ones, 5,000 of these and then they will be bagged up in these hundreds. "Commentator: Where do these come from? "Dealer: They come from the warehouse man. Directly from the warehouse to me then they are bagged up in hundreds and they're sent on their way. They are only held by me long enough to put in these bags and they're gone. And that is every week. Usually in between seven and ten thousand a week. Physicians and pharmacists are also sources of substantial amounts of the methaqualone which reaches the street. Drug samples and supplies are stolen from doctors offices and pharmacies. Prescription pads are also sought. One common practice involves a single abuser who visits numerous physicians and complains of the same ailment. From each doctor, the abuser requests and receives prescription for methaqualone. These prescriptions will be filled and refilled at numerous pharmacies. Thus, the abuser or dealer is often able to obtain large quantities of methaqualone without being detected. In a few instances, physicians themselves are actively engaged in illicit methaqualone traffic. On May 2, 1972, Richard Oliver, investigative reported for the New York Daily News, working with the Manhattan District Attorney, brought such a case to the attention of the Subcommittee members. Mr. Oliver commented as follows: "We sent another youth to the doctor, after determining the visiting hours. He found the cars double-parked outside of the office. He found half a dozen youngsters inside. He introduced himself to the nurse on duty. "When his turn came, during which time the room filled up with other students. when he was called. he was told to say two things: He had trouble sleeping; and his studies were bothering him. The physician did not look up from the prescription pad. "He prescribed 100 tablets of Quaalude, a sedative, asked for $10, and our agent left. He never examined the patient, he never-he barely looked at him. Unscrupulous pharmacist contribute to the blackmarket traffic. A journalist recently reported that "one pharmacist in the Washington Metropolitan Area does a brisk blackmarket business in methaqualone, taking a percentage of the street profits-much higher than he'd get on a doctors order. Obviously these tablets, whether diverted from a manufacturer, a wholesaler, a retailer, or a practitioner, are not meeting legitimate research, industrial, or medical needs. Tighter controls over sedative-hypnotic drugs, including methaqualone, would have been imposed long ago by an administration committed to curbing diversion and abuse of legitimately produced domestic drugs. It has been nearly a year since representatives of the Food and Drug Administration assured the subcommittee that their recommendation on stricter controls for sedative-hypnotic drugs, including methaqualone, would be forthcoming. On May 5, 1972, FDA representatives told the subcommittee members that we would have their recommendation in July 1972, or in approximately 2 months. Unfortunately, this type of administrative delay is not atypical. It was only after a 3-year struggle that the proponents of stricter controls on the production and distribution of amphetamines could claim a victory of sorts, at least for the many youngsters and others who because of the recently imposed production quotas will perhaps not be exposed to an overabundance of "speed in the family medicine chest, at school, or on the street. In spite of conclusive documentation of epidemic Ritalin and Preludin abuse and dependence in Sweden and Japan, as well as evidence of increasing abuse and diversion in this country, a spokesperson for the Attorney General told the members of this subcommittee, in July 1971, that they did not have sufficient evidence of abuse potential to justify tighter controls. The FDA spokespeople expressed the hope that these drugs would be more strictly controlled. I took strong exception to this wait-and-see approach then, and today I reiterate this position most emphatically with regard to methaqualone. How many of our citizens are once again going to be victimized by a policy that chooses to put the burden-the risk of abuse-on the public rather than on these manufacturers of dangerous drugs. Perhaps BNDD's recent recommendation that methaqualone be placed in schedule II will induce the administration to heed the lessons learned abroad, the studies indicating the significant abuse potential of methaqualone and the escalating evidence of actual abuse of methaqualone in this country. If they do not move to curb the unchecked proliferation and abuse of this monster, which has been aptly characterized as the drug abuser's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" potion, then we will. This morning we will hear testimony from witnesses particularly qualified to discuss the problems of methaqualone diversion and abuse: Former "sopor" abusers, students of the emerging "sopor" culture, and physicians specializing in the prevention and treatment of drug dependence, including dependence on methaqualone. I look forward to an informative session. 93D CONGRESS 1ST SESSION EXHIBIT 1 S. RES. 56 [Report No. 93-46] IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JANUARY 31, 1973 Mr. EASTLAND, from the Committee on the Judiciary, reported the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration FEBRUARY 22, 1973 Reported by Mr. CANNON, with amendments FEBRUARY 27, 1973 Considered, amended, and agreed to RESOLUTION Authorizing additional expenditures by the Committee on the Judiciary for inquiries and investigations. 1 Resolved, That in holding hearings, reporting such bear 2 ings, and making investigations as authorized by sections 3 134 (a) and 136 of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 4 1946, as amended, and in accordance with its jurisdiction 5 under rule XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate so far 6 as applicable, the Committee on the Judiciary, or any sub7 committee thereof, is authorized from March 1, 1973, 8 through February 28, 1974, for the purposes stated and 9 within the limitations imposed by the following sections, in 10 its discretion (1) to make expenditures from the contingent 11 fund of the Senate, (2) to employ personnel, and (3) with V-O 2 1 the prior consent of the Government department or agency 2 concerned and the Committee on Rules and Administra3 tion, to use on a reimbursable basis the services or person4 nel of any such department or agency. 5 SEC. 2. The Committee on the Judiciary, or any sub6 committee thereof, is authorized from March 1, 1973, 7 through February 28, 1974, to expend not to exceed 8 $3,946,800 to examine, investigate, and make a complete 9 study of any and all matters pertaining to each of the sub10 jects set forth below in succeeding sections of this resolution, 11 said funds to be allocated to the respective specific inquiries 12 and to the procurement of the services of individual consult13 ants or organizations thereof (as authorized by section 202 14 (i) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, as 15 amended) in accordance with succeeding sections of this 16 resolution. 17 SEC. 3. Not to exceed $377,800 shall be available for a 18 study or investigation of administrative practice and proce19 dure, of which amount not to exceed $3,000 may be expended 20 for the procurement of individual consultants or organizations 21 thereof. 22 SEC. 4. Not to exceed $767,000 shall be available for a 23 study or investigation of antitrust and monopoly, of which 24 amount not to exceed $10,000 may be expended for the 25 procurement of individual consultants or organizations thereof. 3 SEC. 5. Not to exceed $239,700 shall be available for a 2 study or investigation of constitutional amendments, of which 3 amount not to exceed $12,000 may be expended for the 4 procurement of individual consultants or organizations thereof. 5 SEC. 6. Not to exceed $299,900 shall be available for a 6 study or investigation of constitutional rights, of which 7 amount not to exceed $10,000 may be expended for the 8 procurement of individual consultants or organizations thereof. SEC. 7. Not to exceed $210,200 shall be available for 10 a study or investigation of criminal laws and procedures. 9 11 SEC. 8. Not to exceed $14,500 shall be available for a 12 study or investigation of Federal charters, holidays, and 13 celebrations. 14 15 16 17 SEC. 9. Not to exceed $240,000 shall be available for a study or investigation of immigration and naturalization. SEC. 10. Not to exceed $223,000 shall be available for a study or investigation of improvements in judicial ma18 chinery. 19 SEC. 11. Not to exceed $532,500 shall be available for 20 a complete and continuing study and investigation of (1) 21 the administration, operation, and enforcement of the In22 ternal Security Act of 1950, as amended, (2) the adminis23 tration, operation, and enforcement of other laws relating 24 to espionage, sabotage, and the protection of the internal 25 security of the United States, and (3) the extent, nature, |