THAT'S OFF

Senate Majority Leader Truman Chafin this week urged a ban on the main
ingredient in OxyContin. Calling OxyContin abuse tragic, especially in
Southern West Virginia, Chafin said, "People just can't handle it, and it's
costing our state untold millions already. That's just dollars, not to
mention destroyed lives."

The same could be said of alcohol abuse, the social and economic costs of
which dwarf those brought on by abuse of any other substance. But alcohol
has none of the remarkable palliative characteristics that have made
OxyContin indispensable to cancer victims.

OxyContin abuse is a real problem, but the media have made it worse,
contends no less an authority than former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop.
"Not only have exaggerated news stories stopped OxyContin from getting to
people who need it most for pain relief, but they have hyped the drug for
recreational use into being almost irresistible as the drug du jour," he said.

And the urge for politicians to showboat is also irresistible, especially
in an election year.