EDUCATION A KEY TO ENDING PAINKILLER ABUSE

I must first thank the Herald-Leader for its "Prescription for Pain" series
about the overwhelming narcotic use in Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia's
southwestern border counties. As executive director of the Appalachian Pain
Foundation, I took considerable interest in the series and would like to
elaborate on what this organization has to offer.

The Appalachian Pain Foundation was created in 2001 to ensure that people
have access to pain management services as delivered by professional,
ethical practitioners. In addition, we are committed to educating the
public and controlling the use and reducing the abuse of prescription pain
medications.

In other words, we want to take prescription drugs out of the hands of
those who misuse and abuse them, while ensuring that those who legitimately
need pain management services receive them.

As mentioned in the series, this region of the country and Appalachia in
general -- with its older population, injured coal miners and greater
prevalence of lung cancer -- experiences a greater need for pain management
services and appropriate medication.

We are committed to providing this to the patient.

On the other hand, we are well aware of the horrors of addiction and are
committed to educating the public about proper pain management and the
effects of the diversion and abuse of prescription medications. This leads
me to a correction that I must make.

The Herald-Leader reported that nearly a half-ton of narcotics -- the
equivalent of three-quarters of a pound for every adult who lives there --
made its way to six small mountain counties in Kentucky from 1998-2001.
Regretfully, this figure was based on a miscalculation. The actual figure
was closer to a gram. While the Herald-Leader did make a correction, such
errors further illustrate the need to educate.

Only with greater education will we truly be able to ensure access to
appropriate care while eradicating prescription abuse. With local chapters
in West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, we strongly
encourage doctors and the general public alike to get involved.