HP FRUCKER.

Or. hdemenet Kolb
6645 « 32nd Street, N.Y.
Washington, DB. C.

April 5, 1961

Judge Lewis Drucker
Superior Court
Los Angeles 12, Califoraia

Dear Judge Drucker:

I reneuber very well our former association in California and
wae pleased to get your letter with copies of the two reports on narcotics
prepared by Judge Lewis BR. Burke with you and which you have asked me to
evaluate.

Obviously Judge Burke and you have act succumbed to the prevalent
hysteria and frenzy ebout narcotics that have beclouded the minds of so
many persons, including some otherwise capable physicians.

I ltke the two treatment programs, since they clearly set forth
that drug eddiction is mainly « medical thing, but I shall not try te com-
ment on every euggestion thet is made. I believe that some general re-
marks about addiction based on my fifty years experience with the eddict
and with lew enforcement practices will give you a better idea of what I
think the program should be. First, the handling of the problem in the
United States, spearheaded by the Federal Narcotics Bureau, dishonors our
civilization. ee ee ne eee
not justified by the basic facts. Gome of the etates like Ohio, Michigan,
New Jersey, and Texas have vicious lews as heave the District of Coluabia and
the Federal Government. These State and Federal laws ere praised by our
Commiseioner of Narcotics, an able man who knows narcotics from the
statistical angle and gets out excellent reports on prevalence, but who
unfortunately ie not informed en sound wedical and rehabilitetive aspects
ef the problem. The praise es well as strong advocacy by him of maintain-
ing mandatory sentences, long sentences, ne probation and uo parole show
how distorted his views are. His attack on the Report of the Interim Cone
mittee ef the American Medical Association and the American Sar Association
and the immediate calling together of the group of people with known views
to combat the report; the eide distribution of this vicious, silly report,
end the fact that it had to be withdrawn after it was publicized; that one
person with only police training had made in the report a foolish, vicious
attack on the Supreme Court of the United States and another had made very
foolish statements, shows how far afield the Coumissioner hae gone in his
crusades for more and more severe laws..

As to treatment, efforts have been made to forbid treatment of
voluntary patients at Lexington and Fort Worth.. This effert was fortunately
thwarted by some last minute action taken by me. Also there has been re-
Judge Lewis Drucker «- 4/5/61

peated effort to compel these hospitals toe report to the Bureau of Narcotics
_@bout all the veluntery patients who are treated by them.

| Incessant propegenda, aa you doubtless know, hes brainwashed
prominent people, including some judges and physicians, so that they believe
the neoneense that continuously appears in the papers, ley magezines, radio
and television; and which brings about action by legislators and patriotic
eeeteties in opposition to sensible measures and in support of extreme
measures of control, Unfortunately, a11 of this has brought about the fact
that policies as to narcotics in the United States have fallen inte the
hands of policemen and police trained people, whereas policies as to the
other criminals are dictated by judges, lawyers, physicians, criminologists
end ethers whe know something about human behavior and rehabilitation.

As to Califernia, the interim report of December, 1960, seems to
be dominated by the acceptance of the reasoning that since Ohio since 1955
hes been sending narcotic violaters to the penitentiary fer up te eighty
years with the reeult that there are now fewer narcotic arrests in Ghie,
that this ie a proven, just treatment. The seme argument could be applied
with almost equal justice to these who heve werts on their noses or who are
ontburing ShOh Gurh Shenson O6 ebechas Cyekeupay:

oe See Soareneets © Seen sone Taw Oat See ee es
geod program for treatment and rehabilitation; but I aleo think that it is
vulnerable in the fact that it is to be rum by the wrong people, when I note
that everything is gubject to the sheriff, whe would be the supreme authority
aad could practically veto anything that the professional people atand up for.
is is of course within the bounds of reason that the right kind of sheriff
could tun the right kind of program. My ow experience with this type of
scommksen Se Shek comecnetteh pnenie te uhaten of © aatlah penante ane
likely to be dominated by the idea of punishment. Of course, I aa not quite
familiay with all the angles of the Los Angeles City ordinances and the lews
under which you have te operate. I have the same objection to the recou-
mendation that a facility should be set up by the stete and operated by the
Department of Corrections. I know that the Department of Corrections has
at its head what is probably the best administrator in the United States,
but he will not always be there. I feel that if a man of Mr. McGee*‘s
ealibre was at the head of the Federal Sureau of Narcotics, the vicious un-
realistic features of the narcotic program in the United States would quickly
change. In setting up @ facility under a correctional department heading
we axe yielding te the effect of prepagende thet drug sédiction le & preb-
lem wainly for punitive measures. I would advocate legislation that would
set up in one or maybe two of the State hospitals a special facility fer the
treatment of drug addiction. I would have this facility a littie tighter

 
Judge Lewis Drucker =~ 4/5/61

then the usual facility in hespitale for patients whe are awbulant and can
work. I would accept the word of the physicians in this facility as to when
a patient should be discharged or paroled and I certainly would not pureue
these patients afterwards with such procedures ag Nalline Tests, but would
help them as you aad Judge Burke have so wisely suggested by fellow-up
procedures of social workers froa the hospitals. I would alao suggest that
California should repeal the law which now forbids the treatment of addicts
in any but special euthorized hospitals and senitariuas. I would also
certainly tone dow the planned narcotic raids that so often occur aad are
publicized throughout the United States, giving the people the idea thet
narcotics addiction must be a much more terrible thing than it actually is.
In thie connection, I wonder how many people step to think, or even actually
know, thet in Los Angeles 80,000 arreste for drunkenness every year and in
addition about &§,600 arrests fer drunken driving are made, that drunkenness
is a much more serious thing, both to the patient and te the general public,
than addiction to heroine or merijuans is, and that if the seme ferocity was
used in the pursuit of alcoholics the number of arrests in Los Angeles alone
would probably be several million yearly. I want te emphasize here that I
think California is handling its alcohel problem very well and I do act
advocate extrame measures. I would, however, in any management procedure
equate addiction with alcoholism giving special attention to the fact that
addiction to such drugs as morphine and heroine does have a special feature
about it that is aot present in moderate drinkers, namely, the physical
dependence that causes any addict to an opiate to become enslaved by the
drug so that he aust have it. This impact is the only reason for having
special laws about uarcotice and it is e good reason. There must be some
apecial police measures but they should be kept within reesonable bounds.

I think thet a campaign of education should be undertaken by in-
formed judges and physicians to disabuse the minde of people of the idea
thet narcotics and especially heroine is e close relative of the atomic
bomb. I am enclosing for your information two articles thet I wrote largely
with this idea in view. - They are entitled “Let's Step This Narcotics
fiysteria!" and “The Drug Addiction Muddle.” I wonder if you heve seen the
recent publication Deug Addiction -~ Crime ox Disease put out by the Indiana
University Presa. This gives @ report on the Interim Committee of the Amer-
ican Bar Association end the American Medical Asseciation. In closing i
wish to enphasize agein that I think the two reports thet Judge Burke and
you have gotten out show what is to my mind the correct approach to the
eubject, but that they de not go far enough.

Sincerely yours,

 

Laurence Kolb, MH, D.-