CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 533

CONTROL OF OPIUM IN JAPAN PROPER.

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The control of opium in Japan was under considera- tion ovon prior to the Restoration of Imperial Authority; for in July, 1858, when a treaty was concluded between the Shogun Tyccada Tokugawa and the British Government, its in- In the Moiji Era the prohibition portation was prohibited. became still strictor, and in August, 1870, the Regulations for the Handling of Crude Opium were issued, whoroby drug- gists and medical practitioners were required to report to the authorities having jurisdiction any sale or purchaso of opium for medicinal purposes, and Chinese subjects in this country wore warned that the smoking and transfer of opium in Japan wore strictly prohibited and any person violating this prohibition would be severely punished; and further, those persons who wore unable to overcome the smoking habit would be instantly deported from the country. In 1880 the Penal Code was issued, and brought into opera- tion in January, 1882. In Part II, Chaptor V. Section 1 of this code the offences connected with opium wore defined, namely, importation, manufacture, or sale of opium, impor- tation manufacture, or sale of implements used for opium— smoking, socking profit by providing rooms for opium-smok- ing, enticing others into opinm-smoking, and possession or taking charge of opium or implements for smoking it; and the penalties in those cases were made sovoro, compared with other offences (the code was amended in 1907 and those offences were defined in Part II. Chapter XIV of the amond- od code). Although the importation and sale of opium was thus absolutely prohibited, the Imperial Government had long recognized in view of its indispensability for medi- cinal purposes, that, as the absoluto prohibition of its

treat- importation would defont the purposes of modical mont, it was necessary to find a way for its supply. Al- though opium has from old times boen produced in Japan, the amount was insufficient to moot the general demand; and accordingly it was decided that the deficiency should be met by devising a moans of purchasing abroad, and that all opium, whether of home or forcign production, should be made over to the Government, which, after determining the composition needed for medicinal purposes would dis- tribute it throughout the country, and when it had desi- gnated the druggists specially permittod to soll opium, cause all persons, Japanese or foreigners, to purchase from such druggists any opium required by medical pres- criptions. This decision enabled Japanese and foreigners to obtain medicinal opium on the one hand, and on the other

The rogula- strictly prohibitod its private importation.