OF COURSE DOCTORS CAN BE PROSECUTED

Without elaborating, Baldwin County District Attorney David Whetstone
claims state law makes it "nearly impossible" to prosecute physicians for
criminally misprescribing narcotics ("Team tackles prescription drug
abuse," Oct. 3).

Maybe Whetstone is just griping that convicting doctors for prescription
abuse is more complicated than putting away crack dealers. Doctors have
legitimate reasons to prescribe narcotics, and it isn't unreasonable to
require that the prosecution prove the doctor knew the patient didn't need
the medication.

There is subjectivity here that doesn't exist in a crack deal.

The notion that abusive doctors can't be successfully prosecuted is wrong.
The recent outbreak of OxyContin abuse has led to convictions and prison
terms for dozens of doctors nationwide.

It is important to recognize that rogue doctors are only partly to blame
for prescription drug abuse.

But scapegoating "greedy doctors" makes good politics for authorities faced
with public outcry over the mass incarceration of poor nonwhites in our
failing drug war -- the diversionary tactic of triumphantly jailing a few
affluent white doctors conveniently circumventing the need to address policy.

METT B. AUSLEY

Lake Waccamaw, N.C.