Pubdate: Wed, 02 Mar 2005 Source: Kingsport Times-News (TN) Copyright: 2005 Kingsport Publishing Corporation Contact: http://gotricities.net/domains/timesnews.net/lettertoEditor.dna?action=new Website: http://www.timesnews.net/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1437 Author: Summer Pendergraft Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone) METHADONE CLINIC URGENTLY NEEDED I am 26 and have been a patient at the LCG/Tazewell methadone clinic for three years, during which I have worked the program to the fullest and have been successful with my recovery due to the help of methadone. You only hear about the tragedies due to methadone, never all the success stories. Methadone saved my life and has given me the opportunity to have a life. Being a resident and former addict of Lee County, I know how bad addiction is in our town. The crime rate is high due to it and it's not safe to walk down the road because of the possibility of getting robbed. We need a methadone clinic in our area. It would clean our town up, and if you look at other clinics and the areas they serve, crime is lowered. A methadone clinic is not going to bring the bad element to our town; they are already here. There are many addicts here who would love to get help and get free from their addiction but don't have the means. It seems like the people of this community would be willing to do whatever it takes to help clean up our town instead of trying to fight something that is desperately needed. A methadone clinic here would help a lot of good people who have been caught up in a deadly game of addiction, and they would get help but can't afford to drive or pay someone to take them to the nearest MMT clinic, which is two hours away. This community is so misinformed about what methadone is and what a methadone clinic does and ignorance of the subject is blinding them from seeing the good it would do. Before disregarding a clinic in Pennington Gap, the town council should hold a town meeting so people like me can speak out and show them what a great thing this could be. Summer Pendergraft Pennington Gap, Va. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh