Pubdate: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 Source: Times Leader (PA) Copyright: 2003 The Times Leader Contact: http://www.leader.net/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/933 Author: David Thompson Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment) BEFORE YOU JUST SAY NO TO METHADONE, CONSIDER CHANGE AS A CONCEPT Change is dirty word to plenty of folks in Northeastern Pennsylvania and consequently this region continues the long march into decline. Heroin use and its consequent dependency and lifestyle changes plunder the human landscape as much as the coal and rail barons did to the countryside for decades. The arrogance and greed that the parasites of big industry and big business imposed on the region directly affected the psyches of every family that had to survive their abuse. Their legacies still prevent efforts knowledge and enlightenment that might otherwise offer a way out of this self-perpetuating misery. However, everybody resists. Residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania have an enormous enthusiasm for alcohol and drug use that can be directly linked with the decades of abuse foisted on them by crooked politicians and the industries that they were beholden to. The consequences for the region at large have resulted in the fact that it has made the population malleable. The actions of politicians and industrialists fostered an environment where the reactions by the populace were one of alcohol and drug use and abuse. Today, that kind of self-destructive behavior is an acceptable lifestyle. It is a way of life where everybody is willing to make excuses for the guy who drinks too much; or, the fact that somebody's who's been divorced three times may actually be more of an issue than just being a little disconcerting to family and friends. A person who beats his kids and consequently, his kids beat somebody else, may, indeed be evidence that something else may be needed rather than a jail sentence, but alas, the community shrugs and maybe wishes the problem would just go away. The notion that by changing ones thinking about something that could also result in the changing of ones behavior is a radical idea in our neighborhoods. More importantly, there is the myth of hopelessness, that it will not do any good to change, that grips the populace. The idea of having no ability to change anything is also a debilitating myth. The notion that one is powerless is preposterous, yet people embrace it with the least bit of rational thought in accepting it as fact. Entrenched and self-serving interests, both in the political and medical fields have enough influence in this community that they are able to continue to befuddle the population enough in order to discourage any notion that change, might in fact, bring hope and progress, especially where drug and alcohol treatment programs are concerned. There is an implicit and unspoken conspiracy in our region by some politicians, some law-enforcement personnel and medical treatment providers to misinform or otherwise negate the efficacy of other drug and alcohol treatment programs that utilize real scientific research and treatment program development, and consequently, prevent them from operating in any of our neighborhoods. The epidemic of heroin use, abuse and the terrible human suffering that it causes in our communities in every jurisdiction, is not unconnected to the junkyards and landfills that permeate the hillsides. The region today looks and behaves like a dead man walking ... shuffling, head down and spirit broken with the same parasitic temperament controlling its political and economic destiny that helped create the climate so long ago. Ignorance and a lack of progressive ideas is not something we should tolerate, much less be proud of. In the case of the methadone clinic at least, rational thinking and perseverance will prevail. The law that states that 'communities or municipalities can not zone out or otherwise discriminate against persons with disabilities' is a federal law under the Americans with Disabilities Act. There is enough case law from across the nation, from every state in the country preventing this kind of discrimination. Mayor Tom McGroarty of Wilkes-Barre and like-minded folks might want to consider the economic costs involved in fighting this battle in court before they choose to pursue a losing proposition. The mayor stated recently that he might proffer 'clever tactics', in order to stop the methadone clinic. Clever tactics may win over some folks in Lackawanna or Luzerne county court proceedings, but in a Federal Court, ignorance is not an excuse. It will be expensive and they will lose, but you, the taxpayer will pay for it. Why not consider a few other things before anybody goes off half cocked, proclaiming their inherent lack of knowledge and ineptitude by resisting a change in attitude and in progress. It would be far better for the community to understand first the scientific facts about drug use, abuse and treatment. It will also be extremely useful to dismiss the wives tales, the prejudices and the idiotic reliance on the magical notion of just saying no, that have been offered as cures thus far. Gaining a full understanding of the problem and its solutions will ultimately benefit everyone. Most of all, by getting behind the progressive idea which incorporates scientific principles in treating people with drug problems, it may just foster the new renaissance that this community has been literally dying to initiate for decades. David Thompson Shavertown - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk