217
FOBLIC
THEL
RECORD OFFICE
Reference
C.O.882/12
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC.-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO|
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE. LONDON
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both smoking and eating opium (of this amount about Rs. 22,000/- represents the profit from smoking opium) and each year the profit is likely to decrease. It is not, therefore, considered necessary to form a special fund.
Recommendation (18).-The proposal to establish in the Far East a Central Bureau for the opium smoking problem is useful.
Recommendation (19).—There is no objection to this proposal.
Colombo, 5th June, 1931.
R. BRIERCLIFFE, Director of Medical and Sanitary Services.
Memorandum on the Control of Opium Smoking in Ceylon.
THE importation, sale, and distribution of opium was brought under the direct control of Government with the introduction of the Opium Ordinance No. 5 of 1910, on 1st October, 1910. Under this Ordinance the importation of opium, except by Government, is entirely prohibited. The cultivation of the poppy plant is also entirely prohibited in Ceylon.
2. Smoking opium is prepared under strict supervision in the Government Opium Store, Colombo, from raw opium imported from India and is issued to certain Govern-` ment opium depots for retail sale to registered smokers. Smoking opium is sold at a higher rate than raw opium, i.e., at the rate of 2 cents a grain or Rs. 140/- per pound as compared with 1 cents a grain for raw opium. There are 52 opium depots in the Island usually situated in Government hospitals or dispensaries but opium for smoking is sold only in 16 of them.
3. When the control of opium was taken over by the Government of Ceylon in 1910, all private opium shops were closed and in their place (iovernment opium depots were established in charge of Government officers, who were paid a fixed salary without any commission on the amount of business done.
4. In Ceylon the sale of opium for smoking is confined only to the smokers registered under the above Ordinance and the quantities allowed to them were fixed after careful examination of the applicants by Medical Officers of the Department of Medical and Sanitary Services. These smokers were allowed quantities of opium for smoking varying from 25 to 1,600 grs. per mensem. The smoking habit is confined to the permanent population of the Island. None of the Chinese residents has regis- tered himself as a consumer of opium.
5. When the registration of opium consumers was first undertaken by Govern- ment in 1910 registered consumers were allowed to buy both eating and smoking opium without any restriction whatever, and in consequence the sale of smoking opium rose gradually till the year 1914. Steps were then taken to restrict the habit of using smoking opium (1) by not entertaining fresh applications for registration as consumers of smoking opium, (2) by limiting the quantity of smoking opium in the case of those consumers who were drawing both eating and smoking opium, and (3) by withdrawing the concession of allowing a consumer to draw both eating and smoking opium.
6. Under the above system the total number of persons who use only smoking opium decreased from 780 in 1920 to 447 in 1930. No new consumers were regis- tered after 1921. The sale of smoking opium decreased from 1,807 lb. in 1914 to 265 lb. in 1930, a decrease of 1,542 lb. in 16 years or about 96 lb. on the average each year.
7. There has been no illicit importation of smoking opium into Ceylon detected during the past 20 years.
8. As a result of the Government of India's policy of lucing the amount of opium supplied to Ceylon by 10 per cent. annually, the quantity of opium allowed to registered consumers has been subject to an annual 5 per cent. reduction since the year 1928. This is gradually affecting the suppression of the opium smoking habit in the Island and after 1947 the allowances granted at present to opium smokers will be reduced to zero and opium smoking will be brought to an end.
Colombo, 5th June, 1931.
R. BRIERCLIFFE,
Director of Medical and Sanitary Services.
33
THE HONOURABle the Colonial Secretary
I HAVE the honour to state that the Director of Medical and Sanitary Services has in his observations and memorandum very clearly stated what the position is in Ceylon in regard to the recommenclations of the League of Nations Commission of Inquiry, which will be found on pages 137-145 of the printed report, and in regard to the control of opium smuggling in Ceylon.
2. The only points on which it is necessary to add anything to the report of the Director of Medical and Sanitary Services are those which come under the head of Recommendations (5) and (19).
3. Recommendation (5) refers to the measures taken to prevent illicit traffic in opium.
The Customs Preventive Staff, the Excise Department, and the Police in Ceylon are doing all that lies in their power to detect illicit traffic in opium. A sea-going motor launch has been provided by the Government and is maintained by the Customs Preventive Service to patrol the northern coast in order to intercept opium being smuggled into Ceylon from India. The Police and Excise Officers keep a watch on shore on the northern coast and keep a lookout for any illicit trade in opium generally throughout the Island. In the Colombo IIarbour the Preventive Staff of the Customs and the Police keep a look out for opium being smuggled into the Island from ships in harbour.
Close co-operation is maintained between the Customs Preventive Staff, the Excise Department and the Police and these Departments are in close touch with the Preventive Staff and Excise Department in the south of India.
In the year 1930 there were 421 detections made by the Police of the illicit possession or traffic in opium, and in connexion with these cases 81 pounds of opium were confiscated by the Court. In 363 cases the offenders were convicted.
As regards the recommendation that both fines and terms of imprisonment should be the punishment for offences having the character of illicit traffic, the law in Ceylon provides for a fine and imprisonment being imposed as punishment, both alternatively and conjointly, but the degree of punishment inflicted is a matter for the discretion of the Courts and the Courts would resent any instructions being issued to them as to the punishment which should be awarded. During the year 1930, in the majority of cases fines were imposed and in only 26 cases were sentences of imprisonment passed.
4. In Recommendation (19) it is stated that Government should furnish the League with a special annual report on the control of opium smuggling in accordance with a form to be agreed upon. I beg reference to my report of the 27th February, 1931, forwarded through the Director of Medical and Sanitary Services by which a report for the year 1930 in the form prescribed by the League of Nations Advisory Committee on the traffic in opium and other dangerous drugs was submitted. Similar reports in the form prescribed were submitted for the years 1929, 1928, 1927. 1926. 1925, 1924. 1923, and 1922.
H. L. DowBIGGIN. Inspector-General of Police
Colombo. 13th June, 1931.
C. 83014/31 [No. 76A].
SIR.
No. 24.
THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA to INDIA OFFICE (Copy received in Colonial Office, 10th August, 1931.) [Answered by No. 25.]
Finance Department (Central Revenues),
Simla, 15th June, 1931.
Opium Smoking-Far East-Ekstrand Committee's Report. Your letter dated the 9th March. 1931.
In reply to your letter quoted above, I am directed to forward the observations
of the Governments of Burma and of India on the suggestions contained in Part IV of the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Opium Smoking in the Far East.
2. Suggestion (1). Necessity for concurrent measures. This suggestion is
accepted.