Pubdate: Wed, 16 Apr 2003
Source: Tennessean, The (TN)
1630185
Copyright: 2003 The Tennessean
Contact:  http://www.tennessean.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/447

CHEAP TALK ON DRUGS

If Tennessee legislators want to swap some methadone funding for epilepsy 
funds, they should do so for the right reasons, not because of political 
posturing.

The decision last week by the Senate General Welfare Committee to cut 
$186,500 from TennCare funding for methadone treatment to restore money cut 
from the Epilepsy Foundation is penny wise and pound foolish. Coupled with 
matching federal funds, the methadone program would lose $524,000.

The assertion by Sen. Rusty Crowe, who targeted the funding, that state 
spending on methadone was meant to "keep drug addicts happy" shows a 
serious lack of understanding about addiction.

Legislators don't want to be accused of coddling drug users. But treating 
drug addiction is tough business. Methadone happens to be one solution that 
works. It allows addicts to get their fix while gradually weaning them from 
addiction. More importantly, the treatment allows addicts to continue 
working and contributing to their families. They are less likely to commit 
a crime to feed their habit and more likely to contribute tax dollars to 
their communities and this state. By one estimate, every dollar spent on 
treatment is returned as much as four to seven times over.

Certainly, the care of those stricken with epilepsy is no less urgent. But 
the foundation has other resources from which to raise money. When state 
officials began looking for ways to trim the budget, those areas that could 
raise funds more readily from outside sources were a natural place to look.

Sen. David Fowler, R-Signal Mountain, criticized the methadone program as 
unregulated with few controls on patients who seek treatment. Tennessee 
regulates, rather than actually runs, six clinics in the state. If there 
are problems, state health officials certainly should investigate. So too, 
should claims by Fowler that the methadone program is attracting addicts 
from other states.

But when senators criticize addicts for taking advantage of a situation, 
they should consider their own willingness to bad-mouth worthy health 
programs for cheap political gain.
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MAP posted-by: Beth