Pubdate: Thu, 27 Dec 2001
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2001 The New York Times Company
Contact:  http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Section: Editorial/Op-Ed
Author: Peter Provet

OXYCONTIN ABUSE

To the Editor:

Monitoring prescriptions of OxyContin sounds like a good place to start to 
prevent increased abuse ("Few States Track Prescriptions as Way to Prevent 
Overdoses," front page, Dec. 21). But we must also increase drug treatment 
programs and sponsor broader prevention and education campaigns.

As a treatment provider in New York City, Odyssey House is not yet 
admitting abusers of OxyContin in anywhere near the numbers of abusers of 
illegal drugs like crack cocaine and heroin. But if this drug is not 
sufficiently controlled, that could change fast.

It is up to drug treatment and prevention specialists, doctors, law 
enforcement and pharmaceutical companies to work together to ensure that 
powerful addictive substances like OxyContin are safely used, not abused.

PETER PROVET
President, Odyssey House
New York, Dec. 22, 2001 
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart