4/18-20 "America's In Pain" - MARCH ON WASHINGTON - "Silent No More"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (4/4/04)

Contact: Virginia Brooks 662-334-6204

Pain Advocacy Grass Roots Leaders Call For Congressional Hearings

"America's In Pain" - MARCH ON WASHINGTON - "Silent No More"
April 18-20, 2004

(Washington, DC) - Calling for "Congressional Hearings on the DEA War
on Physicians, Pharmacists and Pain Patients", grass roots pain
advocacy groups are pushing lawmakers to take action. The National
Pain Patients Coalition (NPPC), the American Pain Institute (API) and
the National Juneteenth Medical Commission (NJMC) are organizing
"America's In Pain" - MARCH ON WASHINGTON - "Silent No More", on the
National Mall and at the U.S. Capitol, April 18-20, 2004, in
Washington, DC.

"The DEA war on drugs has turned into war on pain patients and the
physicians who treat them," states Virginia Brooks, a chronic pain
patient and leader of the National Pain Patients Coalition (NPPC).
"Unable to find a doctor willing to treat them, many pain patients
are choosing suicide over living with chronic pain."

"Over 50 million people are living in untreated, disabling pain,"
states Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D., a Baptist Medical Missionary
serving the poor in the Mississippi Delta and Founder & President of
the American Pain Institute (API). "The DEA has unjustly prosecuted
many physicians who treat chronic pain, shutting down their medical
practices and in some cases, trying to give them long prison terms.
The irresponsible actions of the DEA "witch hunt" of many good
physicians who treat chronic pain has led to a health care
catastrophe in America."

Organizers of the MARCH ON WASHINGTON are gathering 1 million
signatures on petitions calling for Congress to conduct hearings on
the DEA attacks on pain management in America. They plan to present
these petitions to members of Congress during the MARCH.

"Far too many people have chosen suicide over living with untreated
chronic pain," states Rev., Dr. Myers. "The DEA's hysteria over
oxycontin, and now hydromorphone, which the DEA is trying to make a
schedule II narcotic drug, we hope will be quickly investigated by
Congress to turn the tide on the epidemic of pain patient suicides.
The increased suicides among chronic pain patients demonstrates the
morally reprehensible actions of the DEA."

For information on the MARCH ON WASHINGTON and how you can sign the
petition calling for Congressional Hearings on the DEA, call Dr.
Myers at 662-247-1471 or 202-331-8864, web sites:
<http://www.americanpaininstitute.org/>http://www.AmericanPainInstitute.org
or <http://www.paincoalition.us/>http://www.PainCoalition.us, e-mail:
<mailto:MyersFound [at] aol.com>MyersFound [at] aol.com or Jean Bancroft,
Public Relations Director for the MARCH ON WASHINGTON at
479-641-7755, e-mail:
<mailto:bancroft [at] arkansas.net>bancroft [at] arkansas.net.

"Don't give up the fight!"
AMERICAN PAIN INSTITUTE
Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D., Founder & President
202-331-8864 662-247-1471 662-247-1384 Fax
<http://www.americanpaininstitute.org/>http://www.AmericanPainInstitute.org

America's In Pain!
MARCH ON WASHINGTON
Silent No More!

April 18-20, 2004
National Mall - Washington, DC

"Patients in pain no more! See you in Washington!"
NATIONAL PAIN PATIENTS COALITION
Virginia Brooks, President Terina Threadgill, Vice-President
662-334-6204 662-840-6309
<http://www.paincoalition.us/>http://www.PainCoalition.us

Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D., President
American Pain Institute (API)
662-247-1471 202-331-8864
e-mail: <mailto:MyersFound [at] aol.com>MyersFound [at] aol.com
http://www.AmericanPainInstitute.org

___________________________________________________
Hilary McQuie
Campaign Director
Americans for Safe Access
1678 Shattuck Ave. #317
Berkeley, CA 94709
510-486-8083
http://www.safeaccessnow.org