Source:Orange County RegisterCommentaryEditorials,page,4
Contact:(letters@link.freedom.com)

Headline:Pain Relief

California legislators have a chance to relieve the physical suffering of
some of our state's citizens. Senate Bill 402, sponsored by Sen. Leroy
Greene of Carmichael, would make it easier for doctors to prescribe the
medication that patients in extreme, continuous pain need to help lead
normal lives.

"The patient suffering from severe chronic intractable pain has the option
to request or reject the use of any modality to relieve pain," reads SB
402. "Physicians may prescribe any dosage deemed necessary to relieve
severe chronic intractable pain as prescribed in the California
Intraactable Pain Treatment Act." That seems eminently reasonable.

SB402 is necessary because, to an important degree, doctors are cautious,
even reticient, about prescribing certain antipain medications, such as
morphine and other opium derivatives. The reason stems from drugs. Simply
put, doctors often fear being singled outl, possibly prosecuted, for drug
violations.

Whatever one's views on the "war" on drugs, it should not harm people
suffering such ailments as continuous back pain, terminal cnacer or AIDS.

In the blunt words of Dr. Harvey Rose: "Give people enough pain medicine
and they won't kill thimselves," Dr. Rose, an M.D. in Carmichael, is active
in promoting humane pain medication policies.

About a dozen states, including California, have Intractable Pain Acts,
which give some protection to doctors who prescribe pain medications. SB
402 furthers those protections.

The bill has garnered bipartisan support in the state Legislature. It
passed in the Senate 273 and passed in the Assembly Health Committee 180.

The bill met some initial opposition from state Attorney General Dan
Lungren. He was concerned that it didn't contain enough safeguards
tothwart drug abusers from obtaining morphine and other prescription pain
killers. But several fraudprevention modifications subsequentlly were
added to SB 402, and Lungren has signed on, a spokesman said Friday.

Gov. Pete Wilson's office told us he hasn't yet considered SB 402. Notably,
though, in 1994 the governor convened the "Summit in Effective Pain
Management: Removing Impediments to Appropriate Prescribing." The Wilson
Summit found that patients were suffering needlesslyl because of
"exaggerated fears of addiction"and "problems with government and private
sector attitudes toward controlled substances..."

The full Assembly will take up the bill later this month. If it acts
quickly and passes SB 402without changes Gov. Wilson would have the
opportunity quickly to sign it into law. For Californians who suffer
chronic pain, SB 402 spells relief.