TASK FORCE TO TACKLE DRUG-OVERDOSE RASH

Meeting To Look At Pain Clinics

A St. Bernard Parish councilman is leading a task force from various
agencies to coordinate efforts to address the alarming number of drug
overdoses in the parish, which officials say may be tied to some pain clinics.

The group of more than 30 people includes representatives from other
parishes, St. Bernard Sheriff Jack Stephens and officials from the state
Board of Medical Examiners. It will meet today at 11 a.m. in the St.
Bernard Parish Council conference room.

St. Bernard Councilman Craig Taffaro, a professional substance abuse
counselor, recently initiated an ordinance imposing a 180-day moratorium on
new pain management clinics in St. Bernard.

Since then, several other local governments have followed suit. Slidell had
already imposed a moratorium. Earlier this month, St. Tammany Parish
imposed an emergency 30-day moratorium, Jefferson Parish approved a
six-month ban and New Orleans began a one-year moratorium for eastern New
Orleans, with plans to extend the moratorium to the rest of the city.

Today's task force meeting comes on the heels of a federal raid Tuesday of
three metro-area pain clinics.

During the pain clinic moratorium in St. Bernard, the council is trying to
determine how it can revise its zoning laws to make it more difficult for
the clinics, which usually prescribe or dispense painkillers and methadone,
to locate here.

The clinics under scrutiny dispense prescription drugs that help patients
manage pain. But government officials across the metro area blame some pain
clinics for a spike in prescription drug abuse and overdoses.

To study the problem, "we are trying to tie everyone's efforts together
from the local level all the way to the state level," Taffaro said. "We
will have representatives from the medical community, the medical board,
the state pharmacy board, law enforcement, the DEA (Drug Enforcement
Administration) and St. Tammany Parish and possibly from Jefferson Parish."

Taffaro said today's meeting is important because he hopes to use the
results to help amend state legislation expected to be filed by Friday that
would impose further restrictions on pain management clinics. The
Legislature convenes April 25.

Though open to the public, Taffaro said today's meeting is for officials to
come together to coordinate their activities to reduce the number of
overdose deaths and to get a handle on the proliferation of pain clinics.
He said he plans another meeting to get input from residents touched by the
problem who want to be involved.

"What I would like to accomplish is to set in motion a direction that each
agency -- each cog in the wheel -- can take ownership of a specific part of
the plan to make it comprehensive. We are going to continue to address the
issue in St. Bernard. I'm encouraged because people aren't just talking
about this. They are taking an interest in making some moves."