Finding Normal

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20080113-NEWS-801130344

Matt Davis, the director of Community Substance Abuse Centers, a methadone clinic in Newington, talks about the program after one year of being open.

NEWINGTON — When plans for a methadone clinic on Shattuck Way surfaced more than two years ago, some residents expressed fears it would bring drug addicts and crime.

A little more than a year after the Community Substance Abuse Center opened, not far from Fox Run Mall, it appears their fears were for naught. When asked to look up the number of police responses to the clinic, Newington Police Chief John Tretter said it wasn't even worth checking.

"Every once in awhile, we have a parking problem," Tretter said. "I think we had an accident down there once (not drug related), but as far as the issues about what goes on in the building, there hasn't been any."

The clinic operates daily from 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. People battling heroin addictions come for medication or counseling.

"Although the concerns were warranted, it looks like they're running a tight ship," Tretter said.

It is the Seacoast's first heroin treatment center and the need has been evident, according to Director Matt Davis. The Massachusetts-based CSAC targeted the Seacoast after finding many of the clients at the company's Somersworth clinic were driving 30 miles from the Portsmouth area to get methadone. The demand, he said, continues to grow daily.

After starting out with approximately 50 people receiving methadone and counseling, there are currently 105 people — all from the Seacoast — receiving services.

"The need continues ... we're admitting new people every day," he said. "The more the word gets out about the clinic, the more people seek services, and we're working to get people the treatment they need."

Davis said the fears expressed early on are not uncommon for clinics, but they're not necessarily warranted.

"I think people have different views of drug addiction and have had different personal experiences, and a lot of it is because of a lack of education," he said.

Methadone abuse — there were 178 methadone-related deaths in the state from 2001 to 2005 — is the result of illegal distribution of the pill form of the drug, which the clinic does not offer.

Dr. Thomas Andrew, the state's medical examiner, has said methadone on the street is obtained through pharmacy thefts, prescription forgeries, and other illegal means.

Chief Tretter is on an advisory board established by the clinic to exchange feedback with the community on CSAC. The clinic, he said, has done a good job enforcing its rules to ensure there are no issues.

"They're actually quite a bit quieter than a lot of other businesses," he said. "So far, so good."

The advisory board is just one of the various mechanisms the clinic uses to maintain communication and good will with the public, according to Davis. Annual meetings are also held with neighbors.

"We work hard to be a good neighbor," he said. "I think a lot of the fears when we opened were based on misconceptions, but after we were open awhile, we just became part of the community."