This order concerning dens and shops was followed in the natural course of events by the release of 40 drug addicts confined in Peiping jails during the campaign of the Sung Cheh-yuan regime to stamp out the drug habit, It will be recalled that he forced addicts to undergo treatment and if after they had been d clared cured they relapse into drug taking they were sent to prison and thus forcibly kept away from the drug.
Not less intel order ing is an concerning the registration of opium smokers. Officially the registration system is to taper off smoking and eliminate the habit but some of the regulations make it abundantly clear this desirable end is not expected. for.a long time and indeed the financial returns of registration are likely to be such that the authorities will not wish to see the habit disappear.
All smokers are supposed to register with the Municipal authorities. In return they are given a licence to smoke and pay a fee of $1 a month for it. The regulations state that this licence must be renewed annually clear indication that no immediate tapering off of the habit is contem. plated.
The seventh of a long list of regulations is an interesting one—"Opium smokers who fail to pay their licence fee regularly are liable to be asked to cease smoking immediately." This seems a clear in. dication that the authorities who collect the fees have no real desire te stop smoking of the drug, for this regulation seems to be a threat to smokers as to what will happen if they don't continue paying.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.