REDWOOD CITY -- San Mateo County will begin dispensing methadone from its public clinics next month, after a board of supervisors vote Tuesday.

For 30 years, recovering heroin addicts in the county have relied upon a private facility, Professional Treatment Inc., for daily doses of methadone, which dulls the craving for opiates. The clinic is losing its lease at the end of the month and has not been able to secure a new location to serve its 300 clients.

In recent months, county officials have rejected three alternative site proposals, citing traffic, parking and safety concerns related to former drug addicts' proximity to children. Tuesday's decision took a different turn, with supervisors saying the county should not let a private business use county property.

Tuesday's vote enables the county to fold methadone treatment into existing county facilities in Menlo Park and San Mateo.

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