Pubdate: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 Source: Northern Daily News (CN ON) Copyright: 2008, Osprey Media Group Inc. Contact: http://www.northernnews.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2315 Author: Rick Owen NEW METHADONE CLINIC QUESTIONED The decision to locate a new methadone clinic in Kirkland Lake continues to raise controversy and concerns. The new methadone clinic was the subject of considerable discussion at Monday's Kirkland Lake Police Services Board meeting. Kirkland Lake's Mayor Bill Enouy, who is also chair of the police services board, is very upset the town was not included in the decisions to locate a methadone clinic in Kirkland Lake and has still received no information about the clinic or who is behind the new clinic. Councillor Al French, a police service board member, is not happy with the way the situation had been handled. He noted in the past when projects that could be considered controversial were proposed there were a public consultations and a public education process that was followed, but with the methadone clinic that didn't happen. Police Service Board Member Jim Brookfield is very familiar with the history methadone as a treatment for drug addicts. He said it was first offered in the federal prison system and is a very effective form of treatment if the person really wants to beat their addiction. He continued that the methadone takes away the physiological urges for drugs but if the person doesn't want to stay drug free the program isn't effective. Brookfield also told the Kirkland Lake Police Services Board that if a prison inmate is on a methadone program and is being released one of the factors taken into consideration on where that inmate will relocate is access to a methadone treatment program. He said methadone works very well but if you go off it you are back into addiction and people don't realize how strong addiction is. Brookfield said the question that should be asked is if we are having a methadone clinic here are they bringing people in from outside the area. A number of local people are currently receiving methadone. Brookfield, who is a local dentist, said it is not unusual in his practice to see people who are using methadone to help beat their drug addiction. When Enouy questioned OPP Staff Sgt. Don Goard said if the methadone clinic would take pressure off or add to the drug problem Sgt. Goard said it depends who you talk to. That he has heard a lot of negative from other location where they had a clinic such as Chapleau and Elliott Lake. He continued that he talked to another person who knows someone that has been on the program for many years and it works. Goard explained that you don't get high off methadone it helps you deal with the physiological affects, the methadone takes away the urge to use drugs. After hearing that Enouy expressed his displeasure that the town didn't get a visit from anyone behind the operation to give the town the education part of it. He said he is concerned about the increased activity and people coming into town who want to get on the program and couldn't stay on it because that would increase the number of people in town using drugs. Enouy said he could be totally wrong that is his opinion. Enouy again put a challenge out for the people behind methadone clinic to come to town to enlighten council so council and the media could inform the community about the methadone clinic and what it does and what the figures and facts are from other communities. The mayor continued that he doesn't want to see people on drugs and he is happy if methadone program works but he doesn't want another 150 people who are drug addicts coming to town. Sgt. Goard agreed with the mayor's comments and informed the board that there have been multiple break and enters at the location of the methadone clinic. He said it wasn't well known the exact location of the clinic so a number of businesses in the immediate area have been broken into. Enouy said he believes that people in the community should have some say in terms of what social services are offered in the community. The mayor said he wants the people behind the clinic to come to council because people in town are asking him about the clinic and he has no knowledge of it. He continued "somewhere somebody has to be accountable to the people of Kirkland Lake. You can't just in our society do things. I think I got elected to be the spokesperson for council and the rest of the people in town as well, we want to here from these people." To date the mayor said no one has written, phoned or visited the town who is involved with the clinic. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek