DANGEROUS DRUGS

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 22, 26 January 1934, Page 13

DANGEROUS DRUGS

BREACH OF REGULATIONS

SEVERAL PEOPLE FINED

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, January 25.' Dangers likely to arise unless the provisions of the Dangerous Drugs Regulations, 1928, are observed in their entirety by chemists were emphasised by Mr. 'E. D. Mosley, S.M.,■ in- the Police Court today. ; Ho imposed a fine of £5, and four fines of £2 each, against George Bettle, manufacturing chemis^ on charges of dispensing dangerous drugs pursuant to a prescription purporting to be signed by a practitioner with whose signature he was.not acquainted, without, satisfying himself that the signature was genuine, and of supplying John David Vaughan McCleary, Charles Percy Cameron, and Burton • George EdwaMs) persons riot having licences, with dangerous drugs, such drugs not being' dispensed pursuant to prescriptions complying with requirements of the regulations. McCleary and Edwardsl were each fined £1, with costs, for procuringthe drugs contrary to the regulations. Sub-Inspector Edwards' said that the breaches were discovered as the result Of an inspection of Bettle's books by the Health Department. It was found that the. entries did not comply with the regulations. McCleary-had been supplied on nine occasions with nine ounces of tincture of opium and on no occasion .had the drug been supplied on a prescription complying with the regulations. . The explanation was made that the.drug was for a leg and body wash mixed and sold.by McCleary for use on racehorses. Edwards had been supplied with 39J ounces of tincture of opium on three occasions bn the order of an allegedly unsigned and undated prescription. The third information related to the supply of _ 32 ounces'of tincture of opium in a liniment to Cameron, who did not know what the liniment contained. SAFECrtJAEbING THE PUBLIC. For the defence, Mr. A. H. Cavell said that Bettle undoubtedly erred in acting' on the alleged prescription supplied .by a Mrs. Green. Bettle had suffered for the action --of a woman who had gone to,extreme ends to procure the drug, and who had" already been dealt with by the Court. Bettle undoubtedly,saved Mrs. Green's life by not acting 6n the prescription she presented to him. ' Counsel said he understood that thig was the first prosecution of its kind ia New Zealand; The men. supplied with the drugs were well-known horse trainers, who used the drug in a liniment for the. treatment of.horses. The Magistrate said that he did not like the look of the Green case. A man in. Bettle's position should have paid some regard ; to ; the type of woman with whom he was dealing. That he was not deceived as. to the genuineness of the prescription was shown by the fact that he altered it. The Magistrate also said that he was not quite sure that McCleary's motives were as innocent as McCleary maintained. "These regulations are framed in. the interests of the public, indeed, of people throughout the world," said the Magistrate. "They were instituted by, and, have tho backing* of; the League of Nations, with the object of preventing the circulation of certain dangerous drugs, the of which I understand is becoming more common in New Zealand. These drugs can do a lot of good, when dispensed by a qualified practitioner,, but when dispensed indiscriminately they might do a great deal of 'haT.nir'^Wtfknow of their harmful effects in the East,' and unfortunately in somo European countries, too. In Now Zealand,, where wo have abundance'of fresh air and good food, the necessity for it should not arise- Tho Health Department is only safeguarding tho public in instituting such prosecutions as' these."