Taking a pill can't cure woes addicts confront

The Sun's editorial "Hope for heroin addicts" (Dec. 16) is right to herald the arrival of a new treatment for opiate dependence but wrong in its characterization of buprenorphine, methadone and LAAM as "opiate blockers."

That's an important distinction because patients who have experienced withdrawal (which is induced by treatment with opiate blockers) may be discouraged by that mischaracterization from seeking treatment with buprenorphine. And although there are limited circumstances under which buprenorphine might produce withdrawal symptoms, careful patient assessment and education should guard against that.

And while it is correct that patients will not have to enroll in a clinical program and that the new medication "can be taken like a high blood pressure pill," medication alone is not likely to solve the problem.

The successful treatment of opiate dependence with buprenorphine will likely involve a range of complementary psycho-social interventions.

Geoff Mumford

Washington

The writer is director of science policy for the American Psychological Association.

State cannot afford to play Santa Claus

All of us wish we could play Santa Claus and give away gifts. But few of us have the funds to do this, unless we have been frugal and saved for that pleasure.

Gov. Parris N. Glendening has put this state into a terrific financial hole. Now he wants the pleasure of playing Santa Claus ("State plan on raises decried," Dec. 15).

What's wrong with this picture? We will all pick up the tab for Mr. Glendening's spending.

Pat Jedrick

Lutherville

Low-income workers deserve security

The Sun's editorial, "Amid so much plenty"(Dec. 21) points out the increasing disparity between the poor (who often have one or more jobs, but have to choose between paying for rent and heat), and the well-to-do, but stops short of recommending a long-term solution.

While welfare reform has cut welfare rolls significantly and released people from the demeaning dependence on meager government handouts, it does nothing to provide job security, benefits or a living wage for low-income workers.

And donations to charity are laudable, but cannot be relied upon to provide adequate income, food and shelter, much less self-esteem, to those who are now referred to as the "working poor."

Surely, in the richest country in the world - where corporate executives, professional athletes and entertainers amass fabulous wealth - it is only fair that those willing to work be compensated sufficiently (through wages or an adequate supplemental earned income tax credit) to purchase a home and live in modest dignity and security.

These people deserve justice, not charity.

The free market can only benefit from elimination of structural poverty.

Lee Lears

Annapolis

Frist family fraud merits more focus

It might be an exaggeration to say The Sun's article "Frist set to take on a new challenge," (Dec. 22) buried the lead, but it certainly can be accused of hiding a very important fact about the new Republican Senate leader by putting it in the last paragraph.

And can it be that the same man whose family-controlled business had to pay $631 million in fines for Medicare fraud and over-billing will be the Senate majority leader?

Considering that Bill Clinton drew headlines for months for lying about consensual sex in the White House, which harmed no one, I wonder what has happened to The Sun's journalistic sense of values?

Donald Klein

Ocean City

Lott is responsible for his troubles

Sen. Lott's problem was really with his own trap - he should have kept it shut (" 'I fell into their trap,' Lott says of unnamed political enemies," Dec. 23).

Jeffry D. Mueller

Eldersburg

Ousting Lott upholds the nation's ideals

The departure of Sen. Trent Lott is a source of hope for our country ("Lott quits his GOP post; Frist poised to step up," Dec. 21). We cannot set aside a holiday for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and allow someone who essentially said his dream was a nightmare to hold such power.

I am an ardent Democrat, but I admire what the Republicans have done.

Dennis Over

Baltimore

GOP has exploited racism for decades

Lost in the Sen. Trent Lott flap are the real facts.

In 1948, when the Dixiecrats left the Democratic party in the wake of Harry Truman integrating the military and making other noises about racial equality, the GOP welcomed racists such as Sen. Strom Thurmond with open arms when leaving them in isolation would have been the right thing to do.

In the ensuing years, the Republican Party has done everything possible to exploit white racist attitudes for its political advantage.

From Richard Nixon's "silent majority" to the "Reagan Democrats" to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday to school choice to affirmative action, the Republican Party has never taken the high ground on racial issues.

Those who think "healing" will begin at long last with Mr. Lott's ouster are naive at best.

Joe Roman

Baltimore

State did too little about nursing home

In the article which details the cruel death of a resident at Villa St. Michael Nursing and Retirement Center, Carol Benner, director of the state Office of Health Care Quality, is quoted as saying the incident was "horrific and inexcusable" ("Patient's death from overfeeding results in fine for nursing home," Dec. 18).

I could not agree more completely. However, I would like to know why Ms. Benner seems surprised that such a thing could happen at this facility. Her own agency cited this nursing home for 25 violations in May, including six for quality of care issues.

I would like to know why Ms. Benner's agency had not taken a more proactive role in working to improve conditions in the home.

Dennis Steele

Baltimore

Opposition says no to McDonald's

I live in East Towson, where there is very strong opposition to McDonald's opening a store on East Joppa Road.

And given the recent reports that McDonald's has lost money and is closing stores in both this country and others ("Tonic for droopy arches," Dec. 15), I wonder why the company is so insistent on opening in a location where it is clear that the community does not want it?

Larry Hankin

Towson