Pubdate: Wed, 25 Jan 2006
Source: Lowell Sun (MA)
Contact:  http://www.lowellsun.com/
Address: 15 Kearney Square, P.O. Box 1477 Lowell, Massachusetts 01853
Copyright: 2006 MediaNews Group, Inc
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

WRONG SITE FOR CLINIC

Locating a methadone clinic in downtown Lowell, a few steps from the 
high school, is an unconscionably bad idea that must be strongly 
opposed by city leaders and our state delegation.

Relief Associates LLC of Watertown this week proposed a facility for 
John Street, a site that is about 150 feet from Lowell High School's 
Freshmen Academy and two blocks from the school's main buildings.

It is the wrong location for several reasons -- methadone clinics 
attract drug dealers looking for easy targets but who are willing to 
sell to anyone, including naive students; it will stymie downtown 
Lowell's ongoing revitalization; and the city already has a methadone 
clinic -- Habit Management  Institute -- on Suffolk Street.

Drug addiction is a significant problem in this country and more 
treatment centers are desperately needed. We have great empathy for 
the pain and suffering  of those people battling to overcome an 
addiction and for family and friends who  must watch them stumble and 
struggle in their quest for productive lives. However, cities can't 
be the service centers for all societal ills. Drug addiction, 
including the use of heroin and other opiates, is not a problem that 
stops at city borders. In recent years The Sun has reported the 
arrests of teachers from Westford and high-school students from 
Chelmsford and other Merrimack Valley suburbs, all charged with the 
use and/or possession of heroin. Rather than require patients from 
suburban communities to travel to Lowell and other cities for 
treatment, it makes sense to have facilities in both urban and 
suburban locations.

In fact, we are concerned with the overall concept of treatment 
clinics that appear to have limited state or federal oversight but 
pull in a tidy profit off  societal afflictions and insurance 
programs. Doesn't it make more sense to have  such programs run in 
hospitals? Massachusetts hospitals are open 24 hours a day,  are 
regularly audited, have security officers and are experienced with 
addiction's many problems, treatments and potential side effects. 
Locating treatment centers in hospitals also would allow for 
additional medical assistance, improved financial reviews and 
increased privacy for patients. We oppose the proposal for a 
methadone clinic at 35 John St. and urge city and state leaders to 
fight this poorly planned project.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman