FOREWORD HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D.C., May 27, 1971. This report has been submitted to the Committee on Foreign Affairs by a special study mission conducted between April 3 and 23, 1971. The findings in this report are those of the special study mission and do not necessarily reflect the views of the membership of the full Committee on Foreign Affairs. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL Hon. THOMAS E. MORGAN, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, 1971. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: There is transmitted herewith a report of a special study mission conducted between April 3 and April 23, 1971, by the undersigned, both members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. We were accompanied by Dr. John J. Brady, Jr., staff consultant, Committee on Foreign Affairs. Mr. Fred Flott, Department of State, acted as escort officer. The purpose of the study mission was to gather information pertaining to the illegal international traffic in heroin. During the course of the trip, which took us around the world, we met with United States diplomatic and military officials, parliamentarians, foreign law enforcement officials responsible for narcotics control and other foreign governmental leaders responsible for narcotics matters in Switzerland, France, Italy, Turkey, Iran, Thailand, South Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Japan. Prior to our departure we met with officials from the Departments of State, Defense, Justice, and Treasury, concerning various aspects of this problem. We would like to express our thanks and appreciation for the assistance, cooperation and hospitality extended to the members of the study mission by Departments of State and Defense personnel in the countries visited. In particular, we would like to thank the agents of the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, U.S. Department of Justice, with whom we met in the several countries. It was largely through their efforts that we were able to learn as much as we did concerning the illegal production of, and traffic in, heroin around the world. It is hoped that the information contained in this report will be helpful to the members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Congress in their deliberations on the legislation pending on this subject. CONTENTS The heroin problem in the United States.. Heroin addiction in the United States___ Consumption of heroin in the United States___. Illustration showing major illicit opium sources and flow through- Profits from the production, procssing and sale of illegal opium__. Heroin production in France___. The Marseilles heroin operation--- French mechanism for control__. Difficulties in controlling illegal heroin production in France_ International cooperation to control illegal heroin traffic. Journal (schedule of meetings, interviews, and discussions) – Appendix: Note of presentation (transmittal sheet to Lao National Assembly) concerning the draft law on the prohibition of the grow- ing of the poppy, of the manufacture, consumption, sale, purchase, 45 THE WORLD HEROIN PROBLEM INTRODUCTION Drug abuse around the world is increasing. Of particular concern is the alarming rise in the use of opium-based drugs, particularly heroin, in the United States, and the rapid increase in heroin addiction within the United States military forces in South Vietnam, where the best estimates are that as many as 10 to 15 percent of our servicemen are addicted to heroin in one form or another. To combat this growing menace around the world and at home the United States must use every resource available. It must work through international organizations; it must exert pressure on its friends and allies to convince them of the need to take strong action either to control or eliminate the growing of opium poppies or to increase their efforts to stop the illegal traffic in narcotics. Our Nation must provide the leadership to make international cooperation to control the illegal traffic in narcotics and other dangerous drugs more effective. The battle to stem the alarming increase in heroin addiction will not be easy, nor will victory come quickly. But the war against heroin must be sharply accelerated-now. Given the increasing use of heroin among our youth, immediate action is crucial. Unfortunately, time is not on our side, and as this report is being written more young Americans are becoming addicted to heroin. Equally distressing is the fact that the United States alone cannot oring an end to the waste and devastation that drug abuse, particularly he use of opium and its derivatives, is causing among the youth of he Nation. We must have the cooperation of the entire world. For example, only a small percentage of the illegal heroin that eaches the United States is confiscated by the authorities. There are imply too many ways of hiding heroin, from small containers secreted n various body orifices to hollow ski poles and food containers. There re literally thousands of places to hide illegal heroin on board ships ntering U.S. ports. International air travel has complicated the roblem even further for it enables the courier or trafficker to nove quickly from continent to continent, arranging pickups and ayoffs personally, in addition to providing places to secrete illegal hipments. Once the poppy pod is cut and the opium gum extracted and sold on he illegal market, the battle to prevent the end product, heroin, from eaching the addict is lost. The problem must be attacked at the ource in the poppy fields of the Near and Far East, principally in urkey, Thailand, Burma, and Laos. (1) 5-419 O - 71 - 4 We must be willing to devote more resources, human and material, to fight the illegal international traffic in heroin, including the exercise of economic and political pressures where necessary. If that means the imposition of economic sanctions or the exercise of political initiatives. we must be willing to follow that course of action. We are fighting to save generations of young Americans from the scourge of heroin. As in any war, we must bring all of the weapons available to the point of decision. |