Pubdate: Thu, 05 Sep 2002
Source: Kingsport Times-News (TN)
Copyright: 2002 Kingsport Publishing Corporation
Contact:  http://www.timesnews.net/index.cgi
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1437
Author: Matthew Lane

CITY OFFICIALS VOICE OPPOSITION TO METHADONE CLINIC

JOHNSON CITY - Johnson City leaders sent a strong message to the state 
health officials Thursday night: they do not want a methadone clinic in the 
city.

The Tennessee Health Facilities Commission, which has since been replaced 
by the Tennessee Health Services and Development Agency, approved the 
Johnson City Addiction Research and Treatment Center with an 8-0-1 vote in 
Nashville in June.

The clinic, to be located at 200 W. Fairview Ave., will offer methadone 
treatment for a projected 250 people in its first two years of operation.

Methadone is a legal, synthetic opioid that is used as a substitute for 
heroin and other addictive painkillers. Regular oral consumption of the 
drug blocks heroin withdrawal symptoms, one of the biggest hurdles for 
addicts to overcome when they try to quit the drug.

Frontier Health, the James H. Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee 
State University, the Chamber of Commerce, Central Baptist Church, St. 
John's Episcopal Church and Watauga Insurance have filed an appeal to the 
THFC's ruling.

A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Dec. 9-11 in Nashville.

On Thursday, the Johnson City Commission unanimously voted to pass a 
resolution opposing the methadone clinic.

Doug Varney, president of Frontier Health, made a presentation to the 
commission prior to the vote, saying the clinic's application was "fraught 
with inaccuracies and misleading data."

"They make exaggerated claims of need, and in some cases indicate hundreds, 
possibly even thousands would need the program," Varney said. "The needs 
assessment methodology they use does not support these claims."

Varney said that there is no evidence that the methadone treatment works.

"There's not a single physician in our community that supports this," 
Varney said. "They gave the appearance that they have been in discussions 
and involvement with ETSU for residents to be involved in training (at the 
clinic). There's no interest from the college of medicine to be involved 
with this project."

Susan Barry of Johnson City also spoke in opposition to the methadone 
clinic, giving a testimony about how her daughter Bridgette Barry Boudle, 
29, was recently found dead at the Day's Inn in Elizabethton - with 
methadone found in her bloodstream.

"I hope no one here has a story sadder than mine," Barry said. "I have 
three children. ... Bridgette died June 30 of this year and the 
investigators tell me she had methadone in her blood. My ex-husband and I 
are just tortured by this."

Barry showed a picture of her daughter and her daughter's two children to 
the commission and those in attendance.

"My family and I are destroyed, her children are destroyed," Barry said. 
"I'm angry, and if I get my anger out maybe it could help someone else. It 
has to be stopped.

"I'm not open-minded about methadone and there's nothing anybody could say 
that will change my mind."

"The tragedy you described to me is overwhelming," said Mayor Duffie Jones.

"I don't oppose a methadone clinic downtown. I oppose a methadone clinic in 
Johnson City, period," said Vice Mayor Steve Darden. "This resolution makes 
it clear."

Commissioner Ricky Mohon agreed.

"Methadone clinics are legal in Tennessee, but just because something is 
legal and has benefits, doesn't mean the city commission has to support it 
in our community."
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens