MORE PRISON TIME WON'T AID EFFORT TO FIGHT DRUG ABUSE

Although I commend U.S. Attorney Thomas Delahanty's willingness to
involve limited federal resources to the frightening prescription
drug problem in Maine ("Agencies team up to fight prescription drug
problem," Jan. 25), I feel that federal law enforcement is only a
small part of the solution.

I have two perspectives regarding the problem of prescription opiates
in this state.

One comes from representing insurance companies in workers'
compensation cases where opiate addition is an issue; the second from
being a court-appointed counsel in many criminal matters that involve
opiate addiction.

As an insurance attorney, I have cross-examined many physicians who
prescribe powerful opiates such as oxycontin and hydrocodone to
patients for extended periods. Some of these patients have little in
the way of objective diagnoses and are diagnosed with generic
problems such as "chronic pain syndrome."

My sense is that some providers do not appreciate the side effects
that these opiates have on certain patients. The simple fact is that
opiates make some patients feel euphoric, and they easily become addicted.

As a criminal attorney, I see clients whose entire world revolves
around the next dose of an opiate, whether it be a tab of oxycontin
they buy off the street, a dose of methodone that they get at the
local clinic or a heroin fix. They will do anything to get it.

The suggestion that a longer prison sentence or a less comfortable
prison environment will act as a deterrent to an opiate addict is one
that I have difficulty accepting.

One suggestion to address opiate addiction is for the FDA to publish
strict mandatory guidelines for health providers restricting when
certain opiates can be prescribed, and for how long.

Another suggestion would be the promulgation of strict monitoring for
methadone clinics to make sure that patients are being tapered and
that their treatment is not indefinite. My observations leads me to
believe that such monitoring may not be in place.

Lawrence Goodglass

Cape Elizabeth