Pubdate: Sun, 21 Mar 2004
Source: Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN)
Copyright: 2004 The Knoxville News-Sentinel Co.
Contact:  http://www.knoxnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/226
Author: Chris Kelly

METHADONE CLINICS POSE_NO DANGER TO COMMUNITY

"New methadone clinic has neighbors uneasy" published March 1: Well, they 
needn't be. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, 
quoting the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcomes Study conducted by the National 
Institute on Drug Abuse, "Among participants in outpatient methadone 
treatment, weekly heroin use decreased 70 percent; cocaine use 50 percent 
(many heroin users are polydrug users); illegal activity decreased by 55 
percent and fulltime work increased by 30 percent." NIDA has conducted 
literally dozens of studies of this treatment modality, all with uniform 
positive results. There are over 1,200 opiate treatment programs in the 
United States, and there are no reports of any problems around any of them.

And what a joke that nearby female employees are afraid to walk to their 
cars at night. For one thing, most opiate treatment programs do not have 
night dispensing hours, and for two, sexual side effects, in terms of loss 
of libido, are a common side effect of this medication, so women have no 
need to fear methadone patients.

It seems that the business owners in this area should be more afraid of 
untreated opiate addicts. Those are the ones who are breaking and entering, 
sticking up and committing other crimes to support their illicit drug 
habits. Once opiate users are stabilized on safe, effective and legal 
medication, the need for antisocial behavior disappears.

CHRIS KELLY

Director, Advocates for Recover through Medicine

Washington, D.C., Chapter
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman