Pubdate: Sat, 09 Jul 2005
Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005 Calgary Herald
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/calgary/calgaryherald/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66
Author: Eva Ferguson, staff reporter
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)

DRUG CLINIC TARGETS FOREST LAWN

The embattled community of Forest Lawn is being considered for the
relocation of a private methadone clinic, enraging community leaders
who fear the move will bring more problems to an area already fighting
drugs, prostitution and violent crime.

"Everybody's against it -- there's no way we're letting this thing
come into our community and bring with it all the vermin," said Art
Sheeler, a community activist who sits on the executive of the Forest
Lawn Community Association.

"What about all the crap that we've already had to fight off -- crack
houses, drug dealers, prostitution. It's all come from downtown and
this is just going to keep sending it our way."

The First Street Medical Clinic, which runs a methadone program at
1010 1st St. S.W., ignited controversy last week when Ald. Madeleine
King started hearing concerns about drugs spilling out onto the streets.

The clinic, which prescribes methadone to people trying to kick an
addiction to heroin, morphine or other opioid drugs, opened quietly
near downtown in 2003.

But residents and businesses have raised concerns about escalating
drug use in the area after a 24-year-old man died when he overdosed on
methadone he got on the street.

After hearing the concerns, the clinic tightened its rules and made
plans to move a few blocks west into a building on the corner of 10th
Avenue and 7th Street S.W.

But an appeal has already been launched fighting that relocation,
forcing clinic officials to look at other communities, like Forest
Lawn.

Bill Leslie, a social worker with the clinic, argues a methadone
clinic will help Forest Lawn eradicate existing drug problems.

"We've seen this work, it can be successful," said Leslie, adding that
clinic officials will meet with Forest Lawn community leaders next
week to discuss the proposal.

"This clinic is in line with Forest Lawn's vision to clean up their
community."

The low-income, southeast area has just recently put together the
Forest Lawn Community Action Group, working to clean up
garbage-infested yards and organizing a march for a safer community.

Ald. Andre Chabot, who represents much of Forest Lawn, is against
setting up a methadone clinic in the area.

"It doesn't make sense, it's like using candy to try and help a kid
who's hooked on chocolate bars."

Chabot added that as a result of help from the community action group,
police have raided 12 Forest Lawn crack houses during the past two
months.

"In a year we won't even need this clinic, because we'll have the drug
problem dealt with. If you get rid of the crack houses, you get rid of
the prostitutes, you get rid of the drugs."

Leslie said he wants to work closely with Forest Lawn, or any other
community they may end up relocating in, to set up a community
advisory group that would meet monthly to address concerns, put in
24-hour surveillance cameras and hire a security guard to patrol the
area.

Statistics provided to the Herald by the medical examiner's office
show methadone-related deaths in Calgary have jumped from one in 2002
to seven in 2003, 14 in 2004 and seven in the first six months of 2005.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin