OXYCONTIN HAS A NEW ENEMY

Grieving Hunterdon mom vows to get restrictions on the powerful painkiller.

Marianne Skolek didn't know her daughter Jill was taking Oxycontin to
relieve pain from a back injury.

If she did, Skolek says, she would have stopped her -- she would've told
her the drug was dangerous.

But by the time she found out, it was too late.

On April 30, Jill Skolek of Phillipsburg died of respiratory failure. She
was 29.

Skolek says Jill was "murdered" by the Oxycontin, a drug she never should
have been prescribed.

"She fell asleep and never woke up again," the mother said, fighting back
tears. "I couldn't believe it. Giving her that Oxycontin was like giving
her a gun and bullets."

As a part-time oncology nurse, Skolek knew of the drug. Oxycontin was given
to terminal cancer patients, those in excruciating pain.

After Jill's death, her 6-year-old grandson Brian mentioned one day in
passing that, "Mommy was taking Oxycontin."

Skolek was shocked.

"I think Jill didn't tell me because she knew I would object," said Skolek,
who lives in Whitehouse Station. "I feel guilty for missing the signs."

That guilt and a desire for justice has spurred Skolek to push for license
revocation for Jill's doctor, as well as restrictions on the use of Oxycontin.

She plans to take her fight to President Bush, if that's what it is needed.

She already has an invitation to testify in 2003 before the U.S. Senate,
and plans also are in the works to address the U.S. House of
Representatives this year.

"I never thought I'd be doing this but I have to," Skolek said. "I want
something good to come from Jill's death. I don't want another child to go
through what my grandson is. And I don't want another mother to feel the
pain I always will."

Studying A Killer

Since the moment she learned Oxycontin was the culprit in her daughter's
death, Skolek has spent almost every day on the Internet learning about the
drug.

The more she learns, the angrier Skolek gets that Jill was prescribed the
drug by her doctor, whom she wouldn't identify pending legal action.

She said she has already filed complaints against his medical license in
New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She said she yearns to be at the hearing when
they decide his career's fate.

"He made a big mistake and I want him to be held responsible," she said.
"He is a criminal to me."

Popular For Pain

Oxycontin, the country's leading prescription painkiller, has come under
fire in recent years for its skyrocketing abuse rates.

About 81 percent of drug abuse cases in Warren County are related to
Oxycontin, a time-release form of oxycondone often referred to as "the poor
man's heroin," according to New Jersey State Police officials.

Hunterdon County officials have investigated Oxycontin thefts from two
pharmacies, as well as a small drug ring moving the pills, county officials
said.

Oxycontin is manufactured by Perdue Pharma of Stamford, Conn. It's
regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a prescribed drug.
Its legal use is for mild-to-moderate pain relief, according to the FDA.

A year ago, the FDA issued its strongest warning, saying it has an
addiction potential of morphine.

Nationwide, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has compiled 783 medical
examiner toxicology reports from 30 states. Oxycontin was the cause or
major factor in 110 of those deaths.

A Need For Caution

Skolek knows the figures, but she said Jill did not abuse the drug. Her use
was prescription only, she said.

The mother said she is aware of the drug's benefits for many and she
doesn't want it off the market.

Skolek only wants to ensure that others like Jill -- who could have been on
something weaker -- are prescribed less risky drugs.

Seventeen states, including New York and Massachusetts, now have
prescription monitoring programs that track Schedule II drugs like
Oxycontin. Skolek said New Jersey should be next on that list.

She blames Oxycontin officials for marketing the drug as a miracle
painkiller for everyone just to put more money in their pockets.

"They have to be stopped," she said, "before any more die."

Each time Skolek looks at her grandson, she is even more aware of her
mission's importance. On many nights, she said she's been awakened by the
sounds of him crying.

"He says he misses his mommy. I have him tell me a funny story and then we
cry together," Skolek said. "We miss her so much."

The woman says she will not rest until the doctor and drug officials are
held responsible for Jill's death -- for Brian and for herself.

"I know Jill is looking down on us and she's ticked," Skolek said. "I will
not let her be another statistic. I will make people listen. They messed
with the wrong mother."