PROBING OXYCONTIN

State And Federal Lawmakers Are Right To Set Up Hearings On Painkiller's Abuse

It's good to see both state and federal officials taking OxyContin's
problems seriously.

Congress has scheduled hearings into the abuses of the powerful painkiller.
Florida lawmakers and Gov. Jeb Bush are calling for state action.

A recent series in the Orlando Sentinel showed that the drug is too easy to
abuse, often leads to addiction and has been linked with at least 200
deaths. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel has reported on a small number of
doctors who have prescribed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the drug.

OxyContin was developed to soothe the intense pain often experienced by
cancer patients. But its painkilling abilities have led to use by patients
with many other, less serious, ailments.

The strong marketing campaign of OxyContin's maker, Purdue Pharma, lax
government controls and a medical community unaware of the drug's power has
led to the abuses.

Although Purdue Pharma insists OxyContin is safe when used correctly, the
government needs to get involved.

Winter Park Rep. John Mica requested the congressional hearings, which will
begin Feb. 9 in Orlando. State Sen. Burt Saunders of Naples wants the
Florida Legislature to hold its own investigation into the problems. And,
Mr. Bush has directed his top aide on drug policy to begin work on a
comprehensive approach to the OxyContin problem.

Hearings are a good start, but only a start. Lawmakers in Tallahassee and
Washington, D.C., must make sure it is safe.