DRUG DRINKER AND MAGISTRATE

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 399, 7 January 1909, Page 7

DRUG DRINKER AND MAGISTRATE

STARTLING .ADVICE FROM THE V BENCH.'' '" • I (Br TELKGBAPH^-7SrECIAL CoriBUSPONDENT.) i, -■ Chrjstchurch, > January 6. v ' JA case heard tfe.'Ohristchurch; .Magistrate's'..Court .revealed .a.dcfect. .jn the _ Habitual. 1 D riinkaTds' ;; A'ct' '*whidfr •' • demands. (siys; fho-.- "Fresslf)' the attention .of JPfiflia-r mthtf 0 .'An unforturiate ( With": drunlsonness flnd..ihG_broftCh of a prohibition .orde'r.i- Apparently when, as. a pro: hibited person. ho'cannot. procure drink he •falls'backsQft drugs,.and.he.has-acquired.the ' habit tof , drinking ehlrirodyne. 1 Conscious ..of, hip own weakness; ho'-begged.the Magistrate' to bommit .him. to the "Inebriates' Homo on •. Paka'toa Iskhd ; ' fof'' tiv3 ' yeart; ll ih ' tlib- hope; ' .that. .the ojiforced abstention. Lfrpni '. both; dijinking tnd' drtgs'miglit.'savejhim' from, the' terrible consequences of his failing. 'To come : ; uijder'the-provitiohs ! of(tlie:.Habitual Drunk-. ards' ' Act, . a man - must -be • convicted 5 -,-of . drunkenness three times iin nine months.. The- man' the Court,yesterday- has only two convictions :rig«inst'.;hir,naTne, :and; tHo Magistrate,.'unable to' grant his ..re-, quest] could,do ho morb for. him than; to tell ' .him; that the best'thing he .'coiild do was to get dr.unk'and bo arrested again. Ho would • tlien bb, an-habitual drunkArdin\thO'byes Of the law; and could bo dealt with as lie desired. V .; , ■. v- . - ;.'.lt'is'-.'a serious defect in an Act jvhi'ih is btherwise'Vuseful measure.that it make's no : provision;, for the committal'to:an inebriates' . home 'of "men' who,' though.not legally\"liab-; itual: drunkards," may recognise .that, < in being' placed beyond the : means of yielding to; temptation, ■ lies 'their only hope of,. 'reform.' /The;law enables:,a man, to.'take;out': a .prohibition order. against himself,. and it, should permit him, if . he' -wishes to takestill stronger, measures, to help 'him fight the craving for drink or drugs. Parliament should certainly amend the law in the direction ' of enabling. Magistrates to commit to Pakatoa . ariyono who voluntarily, and''for, '. sufficient reasons, wishes to work out his own reform. '.. ■: '' ' .