DRUG POSES THREAT

It might be beneficial for Florida to join West Virginia in its
pending action against the manufacturer of OxyContin. The 34-page
complaint details the cases in which this drug killed those for whom
it has been prescribed due to a ``time release'' facet of the pill's
structure. When patients chew the pill, they receive a ``high''
feeling that few can resist after their first experience.

I represent the Coalition of Substance Abuse Coordinators, which has
been elbow-deep in this mess for months. We have discovered physicians
using sleazy venues to attack weak-minded or vulnerable persons
through carefully worded advertisements, which tout ``legal opiate''
availability. Many of these ads lead to ``pain clinics,'' which are
prescription mills feeding the habits of nearly hopeless addicts and
soon-to-be addicts.

I am also the founder of a committee designed to deal with the misuse
of this medication. I have met with doctors of the manufacturer on
several occasions discussing ``what might be done to save lives.''
However, there is great concern that more deaths will come to South
Florida if something isn't done quickly.

SEAN CONONIE
Davie