Pubdate: Wed, 07 Jan 2004
Source: Bristol Herald Courier (VA)
Copyright: 2004 Bristol Herald Courier
Contact: http://www.bristolnews.com/contact.html
Website: http://www.bristolnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1211
Author: Mike Still 
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)

LEGISLATORS HOPE TO ADDRESS METHADONE CLINIC CONTROVERSY

BRISTOL, Va. - Common themes are emerging from three bills being written by
Southwest Virginia legislators to control the establishment of methadone
clinics.

The city and county of Roanoke and Washington County in recent weeks have
seen methadone clinics spark public controversy over their attempts to
locate in or near business and residential districts.

Legislators from those areas - Sen. William C. Wampler Jr., Sen.-elect
Brandon Bell and Delegate-elect William Fralin Jr. - all hope to address the
controversy with similar bills when the General Assembly convenes Jan. 14.

The three legislators' proposals would limit clinic locations and force
state officials to notify localities of any applications for clinic
licenses.

Wampler, R-Bristol, said Tuesday he's still drafting his bill, which would:

* Prohibit new methadone-treatment clinics within half a mile of any school
or licensed day-care center;

* Require notification by the state Department of Mental Health, Mental
Retardation and Substance Abuse Services to affected localities and
community services boards within 15 days of receipt of a methadone clinic
license application;

* Require public hearings by affected localities' governing bodies on
proposed clinics along with collection of public comments; and

* Mandate consideration of those public comments by the state Department of
Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services' commissioner
when deciding whether to grant licenses.

Methadone is a synthetic drug used to wean addicts from substances such as
heroin and OxyContin.

Wampler said he was working on the bill's language so that future versions
of opiate replacement therapy, not only methadone, would fall under the
bill's restrictions.

"Furious is the word," Wampler said when asked whether the 15-day
notification proposal was his reaction to the length of time between
Appalachian Treatment Services' September 2002 application for its
Washington County clinic license and the application's public unveiling last
month.

The Washington County Board of Supervisors has said it could make a decision
by mid-January whether to grant a certificate of occupancy for a clinic on
Old Dominion Road. A certificate is needed before the state and federal
licensing process can begin.

The proposed clinic has raised the ire of residents of a nearby
neighborhood, Lowry Hills, who say they fear increased crime and traffic if
the clinic opens.

Wampler said the public comment feature of his bill may not change the
procedure on licensing methadone treatment clinics. That procedure includes
federal and state review of a clinic's staffing, security and drug-handling
procedures but does not allow public comment on the process.

"At least it would make the (state) commissioner take that comment into
account before making a decision," Wampler said.

Zak Moore, Sen. Bell's legislative assistant, said Tuesday that Bell and
Fralin - both Republicans from Roanoke - have consulted on their version, to
be introduced in the House and Senate.

The Bell-Fralin version still was being written but would require the same
public notice as Wampler's bill while excluding clinics from within half a
mile of any public or private kindergarten-12th grade school.

"It may be better that several different versions are introduced," Wampler
said when asked about the possibility of a single bill with multiple
co-patrons. "This way, we'll all be able to look at the differences and work
out the common ground."
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MAP posted-by: Josh