PRESIDENT URGED TO CALL NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NARCOTIC ADDICTION

WHEREAS it is estimated that there are many thousands of recognized narcotics addicts in the United States, and probably thousands more not known to the police and social workers, and that this number is rapidly increasing, especially among adolescents, and

WHEREAS the traffic in narcotics and their usage has heretofore been controlled by criminal procedures, and

WHEREAS under these procedures the traffic in narcotics grows daily; the number of addicts has fearsomely increased; the crimes committed to satisfy the needs of the addicts fill our short-term prisons; and there is only a negligible effort being made to rehabilitate the addicts, and

WHEREAS the prevention of addiction and the care of addicts are not recognized as the urgent responsibility of society, and

WHEREAS the Ethical Culture Movement values each individual and strives to provide opportunity for his best development, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the A.E.U. Assembly urge the President to call a National Conference on Narcotic Addiction which will consider legal, medical, psychiatric, social and other procedures necessary to curb the present traffic in narcotics, and to provide adequate care for addicts, and furthermore be it

RESOLVED, that all Societies and their individual members shall urge upon the authorities in their State and local communities the establishment of adequate hospital facilities for the treatment and after-care of drug addicts, and that they shall actively participate in such activities, and furthermore be it

RESOLVED, that individual members of all Societies shall familiarize themselves with the overall problems of drug addiction, and shall be urged to participate in remedial efforts.

Source: Whereas ... 1962

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