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INTERNATIONAL OPIUM CONVENTION, 1912.
Statement of Action taken by British Government.
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INTERNATIONAL OPIUM CONVENTION, 1912.
Statement of Action taken by the British Government.
(Note. The action taken by the Indian Government is dealt with in full in a pamphlet issued by the India Office and entitled "The Truth about Indian Opium," and is accordingly not referred to in this pamphlet.)
PART-
L-Before the War
II. During the War
CONTENTS.
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1II The Treaties of Peace ...
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IV.--The Enforcement of the Opium Convention
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...
V.-The Work of the Opium Advisory Committee of the League of
Nations
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VI-Opium Smoking in British Colonies ...
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PART I BEFORE THE WAR.
The International Opium Conference, at which Great Britain was represented, met at the Hague in 1911-12, and the International Opium Convention, 1912, which was the result of the Conference, and which provided for control over the production, manufacture, distribution, etc., of opium, prepared opium, medicinal opium, morphine, diamorphine (heroin), cocaine, and their salts and pre- parations, was ratified by the British Government on July 15th. 1914, on behalf of the whole British Empire. Unfortunately, before any further steps could be taken to bring the Convention into force, the European War supervened, and the whole question remained in abeyance till the end of the war.
Up to this time the only restrictions in force in the United Kingdom on the traffic in these drugs were the general restrictions relating to the sale of poisons which were contained in the Poisons and Pharmacy Acts. There was no control over the import, export or manufacture of the drugs.
PART II. DURING THE WAR.
As a part of the general war measures, the export of a large number of articles, including the drugs to which the Convention applies, was prohibited except under licence, and was controlled during the whole period of the war.
Further, in 1916, in view of the spread of the cocaine babit among the troops, British and others, in this country and also of difficulties caused by attempts to smuggle* opium out to China, it became necessary for the Government to take measures to control the traffic in these two drugs. A Proclamation was accordingly issued, prohibiting the import of these drugs except under licence, and a Regulation was made under the Defence of the Realm Act restricting the right to obtain or be in possession of the drugs to authorized persons, and only allowing the supply of cocaine for medical purposes to persons for whom it had been prescribed by a medical practitioner. The sale of raw opium to the public and the manufacture, sale or use of
*It may be mentioned here that special efforta are made by British shipping companies to prevent the smuggling of opium on board their vessels by sailors and others. As great ingenuity is displayed in concealing opium, extremely careful searches have to be carried out. For instance, one steamship line requires & general search to take place at intervals, especially before arrival at China, United States, &c., Ports, and the head of each Department is required to certify, in detail, that every part of the ship under his charge has been thoroughly searched. Special watchmen are also employed with a view to detecting any attempts to smuggle opium on board.
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