Pubdate: Mon, 06 May 2002 Source: Johnson City Press (TN) Copyright: 2002 Johnson City Press and Associated Press Contact: http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1983 Author: Gregg Powers Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone) METHADONE CLINIC ISSUE TO BE TOPIC OF MEETING NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Health Facilities Commission is scheduled to consider a certificate of need application for a proposed methadone clinic to be located in Johnson City at its meeting here on June 26. "At that time, the commission will approve, deny or defer the matter for up to 70 days if they feel more information is needed," HFC Executive Director Melanie Hill said Friday. Johnson City Addiction and Treatment Center LLC, has filed a certificate of need application to establish a non-residential treatment facility, which would offer drug and alcohol addiction treatment services, at 200 W. Fairview Ave. Methadone is synthetically manufactured and used as a substitute for the treatment of people dependent on heroin and other opiates. Johnson City Public Safety Director Charles Harmon said in February that city commissioners have made two major objections to previous attempts at bringing such clinics to Johnson City. The first objection, Harmon said, is over the philosophical questions regarding treatments offered by methadone clinics. "At one time, there were even doctors from Watauga Mental Health Center that came in (to a City Commission meeting) to argue against using drugs to treat drug addiction," Harmon said. The second major objection, the director said, is to the people attracted to cities with these clinics. Harmon said laws require methadone clinics to be at least 100 miles apart, so the area could begin attracting addicts from numerous areas. "Some of (these addicts) may become involved in local crime," he said. Rusty Titsworth, director of operations for The Middle Tennessee Treatment Center and the Memphis Center for Research and Addiction Treatment, the group that would run the clinic, said the group works closely with Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee at Memphis. "We are working on developing similar affiliations and associations in Johnson City," Titsworth said in February. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh