N.I.M.B.Y.
All over the country communities are banning together in protest whenever a Methadone clinic plans to open near them. This has resulted in a new term...N.I.M.B.Y. which stands for "Not In My Backyard". This page will list examples of the cases where this phenomenon is taking place.
What Can You Do?
*Set up a Google News Alert for Methadone. Do this by going to the following link... http://www.google.com/alerts and typing Methadone in your search terms. Then every time Methadone appears in the news or a blog you will be notified.
*Whenever there is an article about a clinic coming to an area where the community is protesting check to see if the article allows comments. If so, leave a comment telling the community the truth. Be sure to cite a research article to back up your claims when possible (I will give some examples here) and try not to get "caught up" in the negative remarks left by people. Remember they are naive and have probably heard the lies from the media and the "anti-methadone groups". It is our job to educate them. Stick mainly to statements in the article itself that is false as well as the most common concerns most communities have about clinics. These include...
1. Methadone Clinics Increase Crime or Introduce Crime in an Area. False. Methadone Clinics do not increases crime. They reduce it! It has been repeatedly demonstrated that 80% of the patients will reduce or eliminate crime as they remain in methadone treatment programs.
www.aatod.org/fact_drug_court.html - 41k
2. My taxes will go up if they open up this clinic. False. Methadone Clinics do not increase city cost. They reduce it.For every dollar ($1)
the U.S. Government spends on
Addictions Treatment it saves $7
to $25 dollars in other costs.
(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration,Center for Substance Abuse
Treatment)(2002) http://www.nattc.org/pami/PPT/PAMI_Clinicians... .
http://www.drugpolicy.org/docUploads/meth365....
www.cdc.gov/IDU/facts/MethadoneFin.pdf
3.Drug dealers and addicts will be hanging around my neighborhood and put our children in danger. False. We come to the clinic to get away from drugs. We are not "junkies" or "druggies." We are "recovering addicts." Drug dealers do not want to hang out at treatment programs. Methadone clinics do Not increase HIV/HCV or illicit drug use. They reduce it!
MMT has a significant effect on the spread of HIV/AIDS infection, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted diseases. rates of illegal drug use, criminal activity, and hospitalization were lower for MMT patients than for addicts in any other type of drug treatment program. The National Institute on Drug Abuse found that, among outpatients receiving MMT, weekly heroin use decreased by 69%.
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publicati...
You can also contact local officials in the town and media by going to....
www.congress.org Please note you will want to obtain the zip code for the area of the proposed clinic first so you can type it in the "My elected Officials" section. This is easy. You just type the name of the town and its state in your search box and add zip code to the term example....Chicago, lL. Zip Code and hit enter. Tell them about the money that the clinic will save their city first. Politicians are always interested in the "bottom dollar'. Let them know about the other myths discussed earlier and thank them for their time. Be polite and professional when addressing public officials. Also, let them know most of us are voters! LOL
Here is a video I have made called " No More NIMBY "
The Video Below Is A News Story About A Methadone Clinic That Is Being Protested Because It Is Situated The Required 1000 Feet From A School. Listen To The Parents Comments About MMT Patients. If Your Not Offended Then Your Not Listening!
Below are some examples of NIMBY at its best....
NIMBY In Tennessee
Methadone clinic may locate within 10 miles
Officials in Spencer are reportedly in negotiations with a Georgia-based company that wants to open a methadone clinic in the rural community that directly borders White County.
Paul Connell, chief executive officer of Private Clinic North, of Rossville, Ga., had reportedly filed a certificate of need with Tennessee Health Services Development Agency to locate the facility in Monterey, in Putnam County. However, Connell reportedly decided to pull the application for Private Clinic Monterey because of a technicality in the filing process.
Within the past couple of weeks, Connell has been making plans to locate the clinic in Van Buren County. His next step will be to file an application with the state.
•CEO Paul Connell
Connell said he began making plans to come to Monterey about 2-1/2 years ago. He purchased approximately eight acres and a house. He indicated he never expected to be faced with the negative reactions about locating a methadone clinic in small community.
“I don’t consider methadone treatment controversial except in this area here,” said Connell.
Connell said he is now concentrating on Van Buren County. “There has been a little over six acres set aside by Van Buren County [officials] that is going to be donated for this project,” said Connell.
Connell said 92 percent of the patients treated at the methadone clinics with which he is associated are free of illicit drugs within the first 90 days of treatment. He stated 80 percent of the patients are addicted to pain pills. No one under 21 years of age is treated at the facilities.
•District attorney general for 31st Judicial District (Van Buren and Warren counties)
“I’m opposed for some of the obvious reasons, like Monterey and Cookeville were opposed – the effect it’s going to have on the community,” said District Attorney General Lisa Zavogiannis. “In Warren County, we’ve had three deaths from methadone overdoses. So, I know the deadly effects of methadone. Evidently she doesn't know that these deaths are not coming from the MMT clinics!
“I think it’s going to increase our crime rate. It’s going to increase automobile accidents. They’re going to drive through Sparta. They’re going to drive through Sequatchie, Bledsoe [and] Warren [counties].” Wow she has all the myths down pat...what an idiot.
Zavogiannis said the area’s biggest drug problems are related to methamphetamine, marijuana, alcohol, cocaine and prescriptions drugs. and your point is?????????? That you have a drug problem in your area so you don't need a treatment center? Brilliant Watson!
“If you look at the treatment process – how they use methadone – the high risk of death, the addictiveness of it,” said Zavogiannis. “Based on research I’ve got, it’s as hard – actually harder – to get off it than heroin. What you’re doing basically is trading one drug for another drug. I don’t think we need that here. What research says that ...truly where?
There are people here who go to methadone clinics in all those different areas. I’m aware of that. But we don’t have to bring it in our back door and make it more accessible. That’s my concern.” That just makes no sense.
Zavogiannis adamantly stated she would not support a methadone clinic in any county, whether or not it was in her judicial district.
•Why prescribe methadone?
According to U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, methadone’s effects can last up to 24 hours, which permits a once-a-day oral administration in heroin detoxification and maintenance programs. High-dose methadone can block the effects of heroin, which reportedly helps discourage the continued use of heroin. Methadone is reported to only be effective in the cases of addiction to heroin, morphine and other opioid drugs and is not an effective treatment for other drugs of abuse.
Chronic administration of methadone results in the development of tolerance and dependence. The withdrawal syndrome develops more slowly and is reportedly less severe, but more prolonged that that associated with heroin withdrawal
•Statistics
Methadone is a Schedule II drug and included in the classification with other drugs such as methamphetamine, opium, codeine, morphine, oxycodone and hydrocodone.
According to a November 2008 report released by Tennessee Opioid Treatment Authority, Tennessee has 10 methadone clinics: Savannah (1), Dyersburg (1), Jackson (1), Memphis (3), Nashville (1), Chattanooga (1) and Knoxville (2). These clinics reportedly service 7,000 patients and are all for-profit organizations.
The report states the patient gets medication plus counseling required by state rules. The patient doses at the clinic “based on time in treatment and compliance with the program.” Some patients are allowed to receive up to 28 “take home” doses at one time.
Clinic staff members do random call-backs every 90 days for patients who have more than five “take homes.”
One incident listed in the report stated a patient being treated by a Tennessee methadone clinic had been enrolled on 160 mg since 2004 and was receiving 28 “take homes” per month. The patient was discovered to have been receiving an additional 160 mg from a pain clinic in Arizona.
According to Division of Health Statistics with Tennessee Department of Health, there were eight accidental drug poisonings, with methadone mentioned on the death certificates, in 1999. These were listed in Davidson, Williamson, Hamilton and Sevier counties. In 2007, the number had increased to 138. More than 45 Tennessee counties listed accidental drug poisonings, with methadone mentioned on the death certificates. Davidson County had the highest number reported with 16; Blount County had the second highest with 10; and Hamilton was third place with seven.
In 2007, White County had two reported deaths under the aforementioned circumstances; Warren, three; DeKalb, one; and Putnam, two.
•Timeline
According to the Oct. 22, 2008, agenda for Health Services and Development Agency, the certificate of need application for Private Clinic Monterey Inc., for Putnam County, was withdrawn. The project had been estimated to cost $970,565
•Who pays?
The out-of-pocket expense is approximately $70-$90 weekly.
According to a document for TennCare Medicaid that was revised in November 2008, methadone clinic services are covered “as medically necessary” for persons under age 21.
In August 2005, TennCare coverage of methadone clinics for adults was eliminated.
•TennCare arrests related to methadone
In July 2005, a Davidson woman was charged on a three-count indictment for presenting two forged prescriptions, which included methadone, to a pharmacy in Dickson. TennCare paid for the prescription.
In September 2007, a Pulaski TennCare enrollee was charged in connection with providing methadone to a man who died from an overdose. She allegedly traded the methadone for illegal cable hookup at her residence. She was sentenced to eight years in prison.
In October 2008, a Kingston man was charged with TennCare fraud when he forged prescriptions or Clonidine HCL, a drug used to treat methadone withdrawal. He used TennCare to pay for the prescriptions. Oh now Come On...this is stretching it...a forgery for Clonidine and that makes it Mehadone related? Was it being used for methadone withdrawal? It is not
Letters To The Editor of the Mountain View Newspaper
Truly Some of the Most Bigoted People I have ever Seen Wrote to Protest the Van Buren Clinic In Tennessee
Dear Editor #3Feb 06 2009
To the editor of the Mountain View Newspaper
I drove to the Methadone clinic in Rossville, Georgia to gain some perspective of what should be expected only from it's exterior appearance. This is a long trip to make to ensure an MMT clinic doesn't enter your community. How far can your Hate take you? I was sitting in the parking lot just after 6:AM with a camera and legal pad. In just under 15 minutes, I counted 18 vehicles entering and exiting the parking lot. Now, if you take 15 cars every 15 minutes, this is 60 drug addicts per hour of the clinic's operating hours that will be going through our neighborhood. Notice she said "drug addicts" not "recovering addicts". However, this is still better than the terms junkie, dope fein, etc. I viewed vehicles with Kentucky , Rhea County, Knox County, Roane County, Walker County, Georgia and Hamilton County tags. and your point is? Doesn't that support the need for more clinics? I had spoke with a neighboring business who informed me that the clients seeking treatment at this facility begin coming into their place of business at 4:AM, many requesting the use of the restroom while they are waiting for the clinic to open. again your point is? If you had to drive hours to get to a clinic for treatment because you wanted to live and you worked....how early would you have to get up? We don't WANT to be up at 4AM standing outside a clinic to get our meds but due to people like you protesting clinics that would be closer to home we have to. During the short time I was sitting in the parking lot of this clinic, there were several people standing outside smoking by an overflowing cigarette ash can. The parking lot spots were stained with oil from excessive oil leaks from vehicles lacking maintenance. One block behind this clinic were streets of many poorly maintained homes. Again, the reason these clinics are WHERE they are is because of folks like you refusing to have them in nicer neighborhoods. And a full ash can, oil stains in a parking lot is the best you can do try again. Poorly maintained cars? Well, it is hard to afford a nicer car when you spend hundreds for treatment and gas to drive miles and miles. If there was a bill proposed which offered payment for patients via tax money so we wouldn't have to pay a "for profit" clinic therefore able to afford a better car you would come unglued! If clinics try to open so they are closer to treatment centers you come unglued. So what do you suggest? If you and others like you would leave MMT patients alone to heal from their awful addictions we could afford better cars but why should you care what we drive? If you drive an old car you are a bad person? There's some logic!
The website addresses below should provide interesting supportive information about the dangers and deaths due to Methadone treatment. The deaths nationwide that are caused by Methadone do not include all the auto accidents caused by those under the influence of Methadone. Do you want a large number of people driving through your community under the influence of a drug permitted as a legal replacement over other drug addictions? There are also petitions circulating for those who have had loved ones who have died following legal methadone treatment. This petition targets the Drug Enforcement Agency in this Country and provided below is the link to this petition.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/DEADeadlyDecision
http://www.harmd.org/ (HELPING AMERICA REDUCE METHADONE DEATHS) INDICATES THAT IN 2005 THAT METHADONE WAS IMPLICATED IN 4700 DEATHS.
I find it unbelievable that the elected politicians of this County take it into their hands in determining what should be allowed in our neighborhood, without thoroughly looking into the adverse consequences that could result. Individuals who are inexperienced and lack knowledge in their failure to look at the overall picture of what this Methadone Clinic could do to Van Buren County do not put the welfare and future of our County as their priority.She needs to read the following 2 articles which will tell her what happened to other communities that said the same thing.
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20080113-NEWS-801130344
http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/192305Is it so hard to find and understand the reasons that other prompted other Counties decisions not to have a Methadone Clinic in their community? Look into past newspaper articles for the Counties that were chose for a location for this clinic prior to Van Buren County. You will find supporting and informative information prompting their decisions to not permit such a facility in their community. So again, tell us why our politicians are so easily swayed by the sales abilities of a CEO of a Methadone Clinic who is looking to make money in this venture.
Every politician in favor of this facility can write rebuttal after rebuttal attempting to gain support for their decision in obtaining a Methadone Clinic in Van Buren County. Everyone will try to justify their decision if they have failed to look and dissect the overall picture of a Methadone Clinic in this County. However, their statements and opinions are in no way beneficial to this County nor do they rise above the knowledge, experience and editorial of our District Attorney. As concerned citizens one must ask themselves how can we trust those elected to office when they fail to permit the citizens a vote on a decision that could adversely impact our community and when they discard the professional knowledge of their own District Attorney?
One elected official compared our County and City of Spencer to Rossville, Georgia and Walker County, Georgia. Rossville has a considerably higher population and Walker County has approximately, six times higher population than Van Buren County. There is no comparison.
In addition, many questions need to be considered. Is the tax revenue brought in by this one facility worth the potential or current lose in revenue due to homeowners or potential homeowners choosing another County to live because they choose not to live in a community with a Methadone Clinic, Statistics show there is none. along with limited police protection? Who will invest their lifelong savings relocating to this area under these conditions? What conditions? Typically, people with money to invest would not come to a community offering such an unappealing atmosphere. There are so many more positive things Van Buren County officials could promote and propose to make this County a desirable place to live where people want to relocate and invest in their future if sincere efforts were put forth.
Additional questions that should demand a truthful and supported response ; Who are benefiting from this proposed clinic? The community because research shows for every dollar spent on MMT $4-$13 are saved. Also, those addicted to opiates and you can bet there are more than you think.
How are they really benefiting?That was just answered but in addition...Methadone Saves Lives!
How are the citizens of Van Buren County benefiting? The financial benefit above. in addition to reducing addiction.
Who or what business will personally gain from permitting this Clinic in Van Buren County and how?There is no alterior motive if that is what your implying.
What is the benefit of approximately, 20 jobs when some of the hired staff will come from outside the County? Staff can come from inside the county if you don't convince the county they would be shamed for working there. I have met nurses who have said they were treated like they worked at a strip club when they said they worked in MMT.
What is the benefit of drug addicts moving into the community because the cost of gas is too high for them to travel to the Clinic?They aren't drug addicts. They are recovering addicts who work, raise families, and would be excellent members of the community that you should welcome.
What is the benefit to possible potential decline in property values?There is no evidence that an MMT clinic has ever reduced the value of surrounding property. Try again.
What is the benefit to Van Buren County having drug induced accidents following Methadone treatment? Again, no proof that it has ever occured. if someone mixes their methadone with other meds then they will be intoxicated but MMT clinics have never increased traffic accident rates. Next...
What is the benefit to our school system should addicts with children seek to live closer to the Methadone Clinic? Now you are just pissing me off and embarrassing yourself! Our children are the children of recovering addicts. Addictionis a disease. If the child of a recovering addict enters a school then the school receives added funds because they are an added student. Our children are no different than anyone elses except they may be more accepting of others flaws even those who are bigots.
Does Van Buren County want the presence of additional drug induced crime when a drug addict fails to succeed in the Methadone Clinic and seeks other means to obtain money to feed their drug habit, such as robbery? MMT reduces crime in their patients and those who enter abstinence programs are much more likely to "fail" treatment. Relapse rates for them is 90% but up to 95% suceed in MMT.
If there were no problems with the addicts seeking Methadone treatment at the Clinic in Rossville, Georgia, why does the CEO of this facility offer Van Buren County a paid policeman?Because of the stigma people like you place on us. People who are uneducated about MMT assume the clinics will have trouble in the parking lot if no security is present so this was a "peace offering" to hush the bigots. My clinic has no guard and I leave my car running, unlocked, purse in full view and have for 2 years. Never a problem. I trust these people more than the average member of society. I would never do that at the grocery store because its people like you who have something to hide and those in active addiction are the ones who steal ...they don't attend my clinic. LOL
Come on Van Buren County politicians use common sense just as the other Counties have done prior to making such an important decision! Poor judgment can be remedied and respect gained by making the sensible decision of not permitting a Methadone Clinic in yours and our back yard. With so much information available that if the time was put into researching all aspects of the presence of a Methadone Clinic and consideration as to the overall adverse effects it would have, we would be in the position of all those other Counties that have chose not to have the Clinic in their community and choose a better future for Van Buren County. When you find some common sense you need to use it yourself. As far as research goes I didn't see one reference to any research article here but I can list many to dispute your lies. The other clinics used discrimination to keep clinics out and often it came back to bite them in the keister....it is against the ADAto discriminate against those with addiction and denying them life saving treatment is a big NO NO!
Van Buren County citizens, there is a copy of a petition for you to sign against the proposed Methadone Clinic. You may sign or obtain a copy of this petition at local businesses, the District Attorneys Office in McMinnville or Johnson's Builders. Telephone numbers for the District Attorney's office and Johnson's Builders are in the Ben Lomand phone book.
Linda Burdett
122 Howard Road
Spencer, Tennessee 38585
Telephone 931-946-6000
NIMBY In Pennsylvania
CAMDEN - January 29, 2009 (WPVI) -- A methadone clinic in Camden is on the move and concerns about the changes of location are coming from two fronts.
For decades a methadone clinic has operated in the 400 block of Broadway in Camden.
Now, the board of directors of the South Jersey Port Corporation has agreed to lease one of its buildings at the Broadway terminal to the clinic's owner, Parkside Recovery, for $26,000 a year.
The state, which owns the port, will also spend nearly $2-million dollars to rehab the building
It's about half a mile from the nearest homes; still, some think it's a bad idea for the Waterfront South neighborhood
Monsignor Michael Doyle is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish. He says most of the methadone clinic patients are from outside the city of Camden and that his neighborhood has been dumped on enough.
The current Parkside Property will be demolished to clear the way for an expansion by UMDNJ's medical campus. Some of the patients we spoke with think the move 18 blocks south will make it tougher for some to get help.
Helene Pierson is executive director of Heart of Camden a nonprofit that rehabs homes in Waterfront South and says the port is not the place for the clinic.
"They're a New Jersey state agency that has certain bylaws for maritime use, so a methadone clinic is not proper use of that," Pierson said.
The clinic is hoping to relocate in the fall, however, the heart of Camden nonprofit is planning a lawsuit to try and block the move.
More NIMBY in Pennsylvania
Board nixes clinic move
By Matt Snyder
Herald Staff Writer
Plans to move a methadone treatment center from East State Street to South Hermitage Road were turned down Wednesday by Hermitage?s Zoning Board.
The board unanimously voted down a request by Discovery House to win a special exception so they can move into a basement office at 850 S. Hermitage Road.
Neighbors of the proposed site complained that the clinic would cause increased traffic and that those seeking treatment for narcotics could cause problems. Here we go again.
Ron Dague said the clinic will draw people from as far as Franklin, Oil City and Ohio to get treatment for their addictions. We're not talking quality people. We're talking people who are admitted drug addicts. OK guys this is one of my favorite discrimination comments yet. I think I will dedicate a whole page to stupid things that people say when taking about MMT and use actual quotes like this because the choices are endless! LOL
I commend them for admitting their problem and looking for help,? Dague said. He just wanted them to move the clinic elsewhere.
Discovery House Program Director Karen DeLeone said no one wants a methadone clinic in their back yard, but it has to go somewhere. She said the South Hermitage Road property is better than the site at 1868 E. State Street because it's farther from homes and gives them more space to work. Oh, Karen honey, please tell me you didn't just say that...LOL IO can see it now..., "Discovery House Program Director admits their clinics are best located AWAY from homes when possible and stated she realizes Nobody wants this in there backyard!
The clinic treats adults with addiction to narcotics, opium-based drugs such as heroin, morphine and OxyContin, on an outpatient basis. Patients get doses of methadone, a drug that helps wean them gradually off narcotics. They also receive counseling.
Ms. DeLeone said the clinic treats 250 to 300 patients per day, who come in between the hours of 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. A sticking point for residents was the lot only had 46 spaces.
Ms. DeLeone said the lot was sufficient because the patients don't come all at once, and most are only there for a matter of minutes to get their dose. Some do receive half hour counseling sessions. She said a security guard monitors those who wait for rides and keeps the ?traffic? of patients flowing.
Many of the clinics patients are working professionals and people recovering from drug addiction, Ms. DeLeone said. They have jobs and families and aren't what people imagine when they think of drug users.
Matt Sracic, a Hermitage resident since 1988, said he already gets enough problems with young "riff raff" buzzing through his neighborhood in cars. He was worried about traffic, suggesting side streets might see increased use, filling residential neighborhoods with traffic. AH, yes the young Riff Raff...LOL
He added that people with drug problems are hard to predict. Hey, I commend what you're trying to do. But I don't want it in my neighborhood, Sracic said.Hard to predict? What does that even mean? LOL
Dague said there had been fights at the clinics other location. Ms. DeLeone said there may have been arguments, but no fights in 11 years at the current location. She added that many neighbors didn't know they even operated there.
Karen Sracic asked one of the South Hermitage Road propertys owners, Todd Donatelli, what happened to plans to put a physical fitness center in the building instead.
We got turned down because all the residents came and complained about it, said Donatelli, who is vice president of Pioneer Home Equity.
Discovery House Director of Facilities Joseph Renzi said they will continue to look for a place in Hermitage to move the clinic. Its current location is too small and the last remaining office in the building has mold problems.
The boards decision may be appealed. Their findings of fact and reasons for not permitting the exception will probably be released in a few weeks, said Roger Shaffer, the board?s Solicitor.
NIMBY IN MARYLAND
Pikesville methadone clinic OK for two more years
U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake said the clinic, A Helping Hand, which rents space on Slade Avenue, must be given adequate time to relocate to a place where it does not violate a Baltimore County zoning prohibition against such facilities within 750 feet of residential neighborhoods.
In the meantime, the judge said in a ruling this week that Baltimore County officials "must cease all administrative proceedings and abate any fines or penalties" against the clinic, which has operated at its current location for six years.
An earlier court ruling found the county violated the clinic's due process rights. In 2002, just hours after the clinic had set up shop with the appropriate permits, the County Council passed a bill that sought to stop the clinic's activities at the site."The bill unreasonably targeted the clinic," Blake said, adding that relocating it should mean "finding a site reasonably convenient for the clinic's clients, and some additional time is warranted for that purpose."
Ellen Kobler, a Baltimore County spokeswoman, said yesterday that Blake's decision was "a win for the community" in that it upheld the county's law, which restricts methadone clinics and similar facilities to manufacturing zones.
"Her ruling doesn't question our law," Kobler said. "Our law, which protects our communities, is still on the books."
Joel Prell, the clinic's owner, did not respond yesterday to a request for comment.
Methadone, a synthetic narcotic, is used to treat addictions to heroin and some painkillers. But the private clinics dispensing methadone in residential areas are often opposed by community groups, who fear that crime will accompany the business and that traffic will disrupt neighborhoods.
Lawyers for the clinic had argued that the county based its law on stereotypes of drug addicts and that it had violated protections for the disabled by bending to residents' fears about drug treatment facilities.
NIMBY IN MAINE
BANGOR, Maine — After several meetings and three more rounds of debate Monday night, city councilors voted 6-2 to place certain limits on methadone clinics.
The measure adopted by councilors:
- Limits the number of methadone clinics in Bangor to the existing three.
- Caps each clinic’s patient load to the number of patients they now are licensed to treat.
- Establishes an application process that includes public comment for expanding the number of patients a clinic may treat.
The process allows the city to consider the geographic locations of current and potential patients and “to deny the application if it determines that there is sufficient patient demand to warrant a treatment facility in an area geographically closer to current and potential future patients.”
During a regular meeting at City Hall, a majority of councilors agreed that the three clinics now operating here have plenty of excess capacity. Combined, they are licensed to treat about 1,700 people, but now are only treating about 1,200.
The majority councilors said the lack of clinics in other parts of Maine is forcing some addicts to have to drive hours for their daily doses and that the problem is the state’s to solve.
The two councilors who opposed limits said they did so because they thought it was wrong to take such action in the absence of problems.
Councilors voting in favor of the limits were Chairwoman Susan Hawes, Peter D’Errico, Frank Farrington, Geoffrey Gratwick, Gerry Palmer and Richard Stone. Opposed were Patricia Blanchette and Hal Wheeler.
“I think we’re opening up a problem that does not exist and we’re putting another paper tiger ordinance on our books,” Blanchette said after calling for a roll call vote.
In her argument against the limitations, Blanchette said that city police and other officials have not proven methadone clinics have been a burden on Bangor or its taxpayers.
“There’s no history of [problems with clinics] and I guess I’m having a problem when we’re saying as a city that we do not want people that are ill [coming into Bangor for opiates addiction treatment],” she said.
“I mean, get over the fact that you think these are long-haired, dirty druggies. These are people that have an illness. They’re addicted to opiate drugs that maybe were prescribed by their physician,” she said.
Councilors in support of the limits said the point was to get the state to ensure treatment is available in the communities where addicts reside.
Councilor Gratwick agreed methadone clinics are a valid treatment option for opiate addicts and said he thought the city had gone to great lengths to make sure treatment was available.
He noted, however, that given the number of clinics already here and the excess capacity all three of them have, “there’s no dearth and we’re not turning anyone away for quite some time in the foreseeable future.
“To my way of thinking, this is a way, a step in the path, to having the state show some spine and to ante up and do what the state has to do in terms of regulations that seem to be illegal and inappropriate and plain wrong,” he said. Gratwick’s comments referred to measures enacted in several municipalities that he said have made it difficult, if not impossible, for methadone clinics to operate. Bangor officials believe such measures violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, but the state has taken no action.
“This is a local concern and treatment should be provided locally,” he said. “You do not have to come to Bangor to see your general practitioner … it seems to me the same should be true for this.”
Farrington said he was comfortable with the limits because there was a mechanism for increasing capacity, if needed. He hoped Bangor’s move would result in the opening of clinics in parts of Maine that are underserved or not served at all.
Downtown Pembroke site of methadone clinic
Only facility in Renfrew County to serve people fighting opiate addiction
Posted By ANTHONY DIXON, STAFF WRITER
The imminent opening of a methadone clinic in Pembroke is raising some eyebrows -and some hackles -in the city.
The clinic is located at 140 Pembroke Street West, in the former location of Pembroke Jewelers in the middle of downtown.
Officially it opens on Monday. The clinic is one of 25 in Ontario operated by Ontario Addiction Treatment Centers (OATC).
Rhonda Daiter, director of operations for OATC, said there is a need for a clinic in this area.
"Right now we have 20 patients from Renfrew County on the program travelling to our clinics in Ottawa and Belleville," Ms. Daiter said. "That's a pretty onerous trip week after week."
She could not estimate the eventual number of clients that will utilize the program in Pembroke.
"It seems to be a bigger issue than what we're seeing now," she said.
Methadone treatment programs are used as a means of treating opiate addictions to substances like heroin, Percocet, Oxycontin, opium, morphine, Dilaudid, codeine, Demerol, Fentanyl, and others.
"Our goal is harm reduction. We start clients taking baby steps. It's about their goals, what they want. Some say they want to give up the pain medication but they are not giving up marijuana. We don't force anyone in the program. It's completely voluntary," Ms. Daiter said.
Over time, the clinic could expand into different areas.
Ms. Daiter said future plans have not been decided but if a group in the community felt a needle exchange program was warranted, the clinic could expand in that direction.
She expects the Pembroke clinic will draw clients from throughout Renfrew County. She does not expect people from out of the area or from big centres like Ottawa, as "people aren't going to go out of their way to travel great distances." A client can just walk into the clinic off
the street, but there are requirements before being accepted into the program. First, there is the initial intake and a screening visit. The client must also sign a contract and undergo a medical examination, laboratory tests and urine screening for illicit drugs.
Ms. Daiter said a new client will take methadone daily but as they progress through the program, the frequency of doses is reduced.
Methadone is taken orally, usually diluted in orange drink. According to Ms. Daiter, nurses will oversee the methadone doses at the clinic.
Generally, a person stays in the program for at least one or two years.
According to OATC, after two months of urine screens that are free of illicit drugs, a client can earn take-home doses. The client is responsible for the methadone, which could be lethal to a child or non-opiate addicted person should they consume it. Diverting methadone into the community is a criminal offense.
"We are tough on rules and policies," Ms. Daiter stated. "Clients sign a six-page contract on behavior and compliance."
Care at the centre is covered by OHIP, although clients have to pay for the methadone.
Initially, the clinic in Pembroke will have a staff of three -two nurses and a support worker. The nurses have been trained to help with addiction counseling.
OATC has two executive directors, Dr. Jeff Daiter and Dr. Michael Varenbut, but they are not often on site.
Ms. Daiter estimated that Dr. Daiter could be here about once a week and added the clinic plans to utilize Telemedicine at the Pembroke Regional Hospital to link physicians and clients if required.
Pierre Noel, hospital president and CEO, was away on Thursday, and could not be reached to confirm if OATC had approached the hospital about this.
Over time, Ms. Daiter expects that family physicians in the area may assist at the clinic, as across the province, about 50 physicians are part of the OATC team.
Pembroke Mayor Ed Jacyno said he was disappointed that OATC did not notify the city about what it was doing. He found out about the clinic when a downtown business owner called city hall asking if a methadone clinic was moving in downtown.
According to Mayor Jacyno, a "clinic" is an acceptable use under the planning act and as the building was purchased privately, city hall was not notified about its intended use.
"Obviously a foot clinic or an eye clinic is a little different, so we weren't too happy," Mayor Jacyno said. "Under the zoning parameters, a clinic is a clinic."
He is sending a letter to the Minister of Health expressing hiand stating there should be better communication when a methadone clinic is moving into a community.
"We're not disputing the issue of people battling addictions. These are people that are trying to better their life and alleviate a serious problem, and that's fine. We have no argument with that. But we should have been made aware," he said.
City council has asked that OATC speak to council about the clinic and what it offers. A firm date for the meeting has not been set.
Shelley Burchart, chairwoman of the Pembroke Downtown Development Commission, is also frustrated that OATC did not explain its intentions to the downtown business community.
"Some members of the Pembroke Downtown Development Commission are concerned that the opening of this clinic would mean a proliferation of needles and other drug paraphernalia in the area," Ms. Burchart said. "We are disappointed the operators of OATC did not approach the PDDC during the planning phase for this clinic."
She added that she has since met with the staff of the clinic and will be meeting with its director on Monday.
"The OATC staff provided information on their methadone maintenance program and other clinic services which are operated under the auspices of OHIP and the OMA. As I understand it, no needles are utilized in the methadone treatment regimen and the client base is comprised of individuals in the process of trying to improve the overall quality of their lives," she said.
Several downtown business owners said they did not know a methadone clinic was opening downtown and that they did not wish to comment at this time.
Others were more outspoken.
Steve Goltz, owner of Brose Leather Goods, is among a group of downtown business owners that feel the clinic should have located elsewhere in the city.
"Why locate in a busy, downtown commercial area? This is not the place for a methadone clinic. If it really is needed in Pembroke, then is should be located away from the downtown area," Mr. Goltz said.
Michael Moncion of Michael Moncion Photography agrees with Mr. Goltz.
"If it has to go somewhere, why in a retail, commercial environment? A methadone clinic is not a retail or commercial business. Why not locate in a hospital or medical environment -and that's not downtown,"Mr. Moncion said.
He also feels there has been a lack of information provided to surrounding businesses by the clinic and called their arival in the city "secretive."
Ms. Daiter said clinics are usually located in the downtown areas of communities. s concerns
"This has to do with transportation and where people are. They have to come every day and transportation costs money. Most of our patients are downtown where there is affordable housing," Ms. Daiter said. She also said she didn't think OATC was being secretive about opening a clinic in Pembroke. She said the city and businesses were not notified because a clinic was an acceptable use for the building and therefore there was no need for notification.
Rick MacDonald of Discount Computers is afraid that the methadone clinic will attract drug-addicted people to the downtown and that the clinic will expand into a needle or crack pipe exchange.
"My experience is that these things start small and then grow. Is that the landscape that we want for downtown -a needle or crack pipe exchange?" he asked.
According to Ms. Daiter, rules will be posted at the clinic, one of which is no loitering. She said this includes outside the clinic but, she added, the sidewalk is a public place and only so much control is possible.
Ms. Daiter said she has statistics that show crime rates have dropped in communities with clinics, as drug-addicted people turn away from having to support their drug habit through illegal means like thievery and the sex trade.
Update: This Story Continues...
New methadone clinic takes Pembroke by surprise
September 5, 2008
Business owners and politicians in an eastern Ontario town are complaining they were given little or no notice that a drug addiction treatment clinic was moving in downtown.
The clinic run by privately owned Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres opened last week on Pembroke Street, the main street in the town about 150 kilometres west of Ottawa.
People addicted to opiate drugs such as heroin and codeine are referred to the clinic and given prescribed doses of methadone, a synthetic substitute, to prevent withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings.
The costs are billed to the government-run Ontario Health Insurance Plan.
Staff at the new clinic referred requests for an interview to their Toronto head office, which didn't return calls. With 24 clinics in the province, Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres says it runs Canada's largest network of methadone clinics.
As a private business, the clinic was not required to give advance notice that it was opening, but Barkley O'Reilley, the owner of a neighbouring restaurant, said he thinks notice should be mandatory.
Petition seeks to move clinic
O'Reilley, who runs Merrybell's restaurant two blocks from the new clinic, noted that restaurant owners need to give 28 days' public notice when applying for a liquor licence.
"Yet they can put a methadone clinic in, and no one knows about it and it's fine. I just don't think that's right."
O'Reilley, who is circulating a petition asking for the clinic to be moved to a less central location, is worried about the effect the clinic will have on the neighbourhood.
"One day it's a liquid treatment. the next thing you know you got the words flying around like 'needle exchange,' 'safe injection site' and all that."
Others, such as Cathy Graham, a waitress at Ulrich's Deli, are worried about how the clinic will appear to visitors and tourists.
"Is that the impression we're going to give, that there's a serious drug problem here?"
Mayor Ed Jacyno said he sympathizes with people like O'Reilley and Graham who work at downtown businesses.
Town council was given only a couple of weeks' notice that the clinic was coming, he added, and never got a chance to talk to the owners.
"I think there was an obligation that somebody should come and speak to us," he said.
"Perhaps we could have worked with them, saying, 'Perhaps this is not the best place to open your clinic, there may be another place in our community.'"
Mayor raises issue with MPP
Jacyno said he has written to Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP John Yakabuski about the issue.
In response to his concerns, the owners of the treatment clinic are to give a presentation to city council on Sept. 16.
Not all local business owners are opposed to the clinic.
Melissa Lance, the owner of Perfect Hair Salon at the Phoenix Centre, the mall next to the clinic, said the location is ideal as it is away from residential areas and isn't in a mall.
"The whole downtown, there's all people on drugs and what-not, and they need a place to go," she said. "It's central, it's accessible for them ... it's the perfect spot."
NIMBY IN New Jersey
Camden's Methadone Clinic
The sensible choice
Acting as her own attorney, Ferich says the Port Corp., a quasi-state agency that operates two marine terminals in Camden, would be in violation of the New Jersey statute that created it in 1962 if it accepts the clinic, now operating about a mile away at 413-417 Broadway.
That act establishes the Port Corp. as a landlord rich in tax-exempt land and subsidized by the state but limits its tenants to private, marine-related companies.
"No powers are granted to enter into a lease agreement with a methadone clinic," she said in her complaint.
South Jersey Port Corp. has been at war with the community over this issue for more than a year. Residents fear that the 650 addicts who come to the clinic daily will exacerbate the neighborhood's existing drug problems.
So far, the Port Corp. has not approved a lease with Parkside Recovery, a division of NHS, a private, nonprofit based in Lafayette Hill, Pa. Last month, however, it hired Pennoni Inc. to evaluate the Broadway Terminal for use as a clinic and to estimate cost of converting the building.
Ferich wants the board to withdraw that resolution.
"It is a complete aberration to bring in a methadone clinic. It is not within the port's jurisdiction," said Ferich.
Cooper Health System and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey want the clinic moved from its current state-owned site near the hospital so the land can be used for other health care and educational purposes.
Port solicitor Michael Angelini disagreed. He advised the board last year that a methadone clinic did not violate the port's charter.
Waterfront South has about 1,700 residents in a heavily-industrial, one-square-mile area. For years residents have complained about odors from the Camden County Sewage Treatment Plant, the Trash-to-Steam plant and truck traffic en route to the port. They filed one of the first environmental justice suits against the former St. Lawrence Cement Co., now Holcim US Inc.
Ferich, who monitored many Port Corp. board meetings and organized a posse of picketers in front of the Broadway Terminal on a regular basis, promised to sue if the board failed to heed objections from the neighborhood and moved forward on the methadone clinic plan.
Ferich said she did not include environmental justice in her complaint because "the violation of the maritime mission is strong enough to stand alone."
Joseph Balzano, executive director of the port, said Friday he had not seen the complaint.
"It's America. If people in the community feel they have an issue, they have a right to pursue it," he said.
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NIMBY In Bangor, MAINE
Methadone ordinance would limit new, existing clinics
BANGOR, Maine - The city has released a proposed new ordinance restricting methadone treatment programs and has scheduled a public hearing on the measure for 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, during the regular meeting of the Government Operations Committee at City Hall.
If approved by the City Council, the new ordinance will ban any new methadone treatment clinics within city limits. It will require the three existing clinics to get city approval before increasing their licensed capacity in addition to the state approval already required. And even if the clinics demonstrate significant unmet need for more methadone treatment, the new ordinance will allow the city to reject an application for increased capacity if there is evidence that another community would be a better location.
City Councilor Richard Stone, whose concerns about Bangor becoming "a dumping ground" for methadone treatment programs led to the proposed new ordinance, said Wednesday that he has gotten a lot of positive feedback about restricting the clinics.
"People tell me ‘It’s about time,’ and ‘How come nobody’s done this before,’" Stone said. His intention is not to deny methadone treatment to opiate-addicted Mainers, he said, but to allow the city to "go into it with our eyes open" when plans are under consideration to increase the number of clinics or the number of people in treatment.
City attorney Norman Heitmann predicted there would be a good turnout at the public hearing next month. The general public remains deeply interested in the issue of methadone treatment for opiate addiction, he said.
Heitmann added that he does not expect as much "excitement" over the new ordinance as there was in 2000 when the area’s first methadone clinic, the one now located at The Acadia Hospital on Stillwater Avenue, was proposed.
"People have more understanding of this issue now," he said, adding that he hopes for "a rational, coherent, informed discussion" about restricting the growth of methadone treatment in Bangor.
Brent Scobie, director of substance abuse services at Acadia Hospital, said he is less concerned about the potential impact of the new ordinance on existing methadone programs in the city than about the precedent Bangor may set for other Maine communities. With some other area municipalities — including Ellsworth, Newport and most recently Brewer — imposing or considering restrictive ordinances, Scobie said the state should play a more active role in educating communities about methadone treatment and develop a more formal regulatory process for determining where clinics should be located.
Scobie said the current demand for methadone treatment in the Bangor area is being met — in fact, he said, enrollment in all three clinics in the city is below capacity. But based on where clients are coming from, he suggested future clinics might do well to locate in the Dover-Foxcroft area, somewhere in the area between Calais and Bangor, on Mount Desert Island or in the most northern part of the state.
At the Maine Office of Substance Abuse, director Guy Cousins said he hopes to attend the public hearing in Bangor next month. Cousins said the role his office can play in the debate is to provide accurate information to residents and to clinics about the need for services.
"Historically, we do not involve ourselves in civic ordinances," he said. Cousins said it would be inappropriate for the state to assume a stronger regulatory role in deciding where methadone clinics should be located, and he drew a parallel between treating opiate addiction and treating other chronic illnesses such as diabetes.
"If [the state] tried to micromanage treatment for other chronic diseases, there would be a complete uproar," he said.
Please contact the city councilors before August 12th, 2008 to express your concerns about trying to keep out another Methadone Clinic. Click on the following link... City of Bangor
NIMBY in Illinois
Planned methadone clinic protested
Hundreds rally against Berwyn's approval vote
Saying they feared an influx of drug addicts and crime, hundreds of protesters braved the heat in Berwyn on Wednesday evening to denounce plans to open a methadone clinic in a neighborhood that the city has struggled for years to revitalize.
Mayor Michael O'Connor led the protest in a parking lot across from the clinic's planned home at 3242 Grove Ave. The City Council approved the facility last week on a 4-2 vote, though it is not clear when it might open.
The protest turned raucous as sign-carrying demonstrators booed and shouted down several speakers, including the clinic's owner and aldermen who approved the treatment facility. Numerous children dotted the crowd, and the clinic's feared negative effects on youngsters was a consistent theme.
Many in the audience hoped to persuade the council to reverse itself at its meeting next week.
"Let's give the aldermen who voted 'yes' a chance to reconsider their vote," resident Shelley Titzer, 38, told the crowd. "A neighborhood with families and residences and shopping centers is not a place for a methadone clinic. . . . [They] belong in a major medical complex."
O'Connor and some residents complained that the new facility will attract a culture of drug users to the Depot District, which includes several restaurants and shops. Berwyn officials have been trying to revive the area for years.
"It's no secret that I feel this methadone clinic is a bad idea," said O'Connor, who was cheered when he said he is talking to a college teacher from Chicago about opening an art studio for children at the site.
Ald. Nona Chapman, who voted for the clinic in her 1st Ward, said that she opposed it, but that the city would face a lawsuit if the clinic were denied. Chapman and other officials said the city's Zoning Board of Appeals determined that the City Council was wrong to deny the clinic in an earlier vote in April and that there was no legal reason to do so because the planned clinic's home is zoned for a medical building.
"If I voted only with my heart and the passion for the area, I would have said 'No!' " Chapman said in a letter sent to 1st Ward residents last week. Chapman said she is reluctant to invite more lawsuits by denying this business.
Chapman was one of those shouted down by the crowd as she tried to explain her decision.
Also booed off the stage was Elizabeth Buonauro, owner of the clinic.
"We've done everything legally," she said. "There are many addicts who do live in Berwyn."
That prompted chants of "We don't want it."
Ald. Robert Lovero (7th) indicated to the residents that he might reverse his position on the clinic, which he voted last week to approve.
"In my heart, I don't want a methadone clinic. I operated with my head," Lovero said. "Was my reasoning wrong? Possibly. Now I am more willing to reconsider my vote."
Dr. Marc Freed, a pediatrician who has operated his practice for more than 20 years in the building, said he is contemplating moving.
"I've been getting a lot of complaints from patients," Freed said. "Some said they will drop me."
You can help with this story. There will be a meeting on July 22cd 2008. You can contact Mayor O'Connor and urge him to change his position at
Mayor Michael O'Connor
Work 708-788-2660 ext. 3201
Fax 708-788-2567
moconnor@ci.berwyn.il.us
Also, please feel to contact the Alderman listed in the article who stated they are considering changing their position which would overturn the decision for the clinic.
7th Ward
Robert J. Lovero
1824 Wenonah Ave.
Home 708-788-1885
7thward@berwyn-il.gov
&
1st Ward
Nona N. Chapman
3416 Home Ave.
Home 708-484-6662
aldchapmanward1@aol.com
The Berwyn City Webpage is at http://www.berwyn-il.gov/
NIMBY in Maine
Brewer: City wants time to consider methadone clinics
By Nok-Noi Ricker The drug has its supporters, who say clinics are crucial to curbing addiction, and critics who say the clinics do nothing but breed more crime. The proposed ordinance lists a number of concerns that city leaders want considered before methadone clinics are allowed to open, including clinic locations’ compatibility with residential or commercial zone rules, clinics’ impact on property values, and potential adverse effects on health and safety. "The possibility of illicit sale and use of illegal drugs, misuse of prescribed methadone doses, associated criminal activity and drug-related deaths, and the increased burden on the city of Brewer’s Police Department," also are listed as concerns. Ellsworth adopted zoning restrictions in December that place a 30-patient cap on clinics, a tactic that makes the community undesirable since the average methadone clinic in Maine serves well over 100 patients. NIMBY in NEW HAMPSHIRE
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 - Bangor Daily News
BREWER, Maine - City councilors want time to do research and lay down laws before any methadone treatment facilities are allowed to open within city limits and will consider a 180-day moratorium at their meeting tonight.The ordinance, if approved, would be immediate and would last 180 days unless extended, repealed or modified by councilors.
Selectmen deny forum on issue; say it's in hands of Planning Board
Residents protesting a planned methadone clinic on Stard Road asked selectmen on Wednesday, July 2, to hold a public forum on the issue.
The board has received letters, e-mails and a petitioned protest signed by an estimated dozen residents, Moore said.
"We have received a lot of negative interest from people who live in the general area," Moore said.
Moore said he has heard the clinic has a 70 to 80 percent success rate combating drug addiction.
"There are very few places out there for these people to get treatment," Moore said. "As far as need, I know full well the drug problem in Seabrook and surrounding towns."
"I have first hand knowledge of methadone clinics," said Jim Prentiss, who used to own a service station in Ipswich, Mass., near a clinic. " There's a lot of problems with people on heroin ... they're desperate. There's quite a bit of crime. ...Value of our homes is going to go down."
Former selectman Asa Knowles said, "These people have nice homes; that's not a place for it." LOL
Selectmen in Conway prevented a methadone clinic from opening in that town, Valhouli said. Selectmen in Maine towns were also able to block the creation of methadone clinics in their towns, Town Manager Scott Dunn said. However, in New Hampshire, he said, there is no law giving selectmen a role in land-use regulations.
The methadone clinic is expected to be on the Planning Board agenda for Tuesday, July 15, at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.
Update:Seabrook board denies methadone clinic
The decision effectively denies Colonial Management Group LP’s bid to open a methadone clinic at its proposed location. The board voted against the clinic under Article 9 for site plan review that states detrimental effects should be minimized, including traffic congestion, traffic hazards and annoyance to other landowners.
The board voted 6-1 in favor of a motion by Vice Chairman Peter Evans that the building meets site plan review, but use of methadone is considered a detriment to abutters and a traffic hazard to the town.
"Therefore," said Evans in his motion, "approve the site plan as long as methadone is not dispensed on the premises."
Only board member Keith Sanborn voted against the motion, and that was, he said, because he thought the clinic shouldn’t be there at all.
Colonial Management Group of Manchester proposed building a clinic at 18 Stard Road, a use allowed in the industrial zone. Director of Development Joseph Sullivan had no comment after the vote whether the group would appeal the Planning Board’s decision.
Property owner King Weinstein said he would not appeal.
Two people who spoke Tuesday said they knew first-hand the effects of methadone.
"I was on morphine for nine years," said William Fowler, a former Seabrook police officer. "They put me on methadone to help with withdrawals ... which made me flip out. ... We need to get kids off of drugs (but not) with other drugs."
Seabrook would be responsible for accidents caused by people driving under the influence of methadone, he said.
" ... You might as well open up a marijuana shop up the road," Fowler said.
Charlotte Sturgis of Washington Street said her husband went to a methadone clinic for pain and got into a serious motor vehicle accident due to the drug.
"I’m living proof right here: Methadone makes you stupid, tired," she said. "... You’re going to kill somebody."
For months, abutters have spoken against the clinic that would be located near the Pineo Farms residential neighborhood, the Cimarron Apartments and the Best Western. The motel has a petting zoo that attracts children, said Selectman Robert Moore, the board’s representative to the Planning Board.
Attorney Craig Salomon, who is also a North Hampton selectman, represented Best Western and Cimarron Apartments in the planning review process. The applicant is a limited partnership, Salomon said, which should raise a red flag that the people putting money into the clinic are, "trying to hedge their bets."
Impaired drivers add to the traffic hazard, he said. School buses pick up children on Stard Road and at the Cimarron Apartments.
An engineer for the building said for Salomon to say people who go the clinic are different than those who go into the motel is, "bizarre."
Town Planner Tom Morgan said in three years, there has been no problems at a clinic in Newington, but he had heard of problems in Maine.
Board Chairwoman Susan Foote said, she was playing devil’s advocate but, "We’re possibly condemning things that have not happened."
Evans said he researched Federal Drug Administration Web sites on side effects of methadone and got two different opinions on whether the drug "was an angel sent to help pull people out of the depths," or the opposite.
Web sites gave common side effects as drowsiness, feeling faint and dizziness, he said.
"Believe me, we are very good at what we do," Sullivan said. "We don’t want a problem ... we understand your fears. We’re here to bring treatment to a community that needs treatment."
Sullivan said people’s concerns were found to be unwarranted a year later when Colonial Management Group had opened clinics in other areas.
Medical Supervisor Donna Higgins said the drug is prescribed at low doses, by a doctor.
"When you give them methadone as prescribed, they are not impaired," she said.
She told those in the audience, when their child needs help, he or she will have to drive to Manchester or elsewhere to get it.
The clinic proposed treating substance abuse on an outpatient basis, providing medication-assisted treatment to persons addicted to the opiate/opiod class of drugs including heroin, Dilaudid, Percodan, Percocet, Propoxyphene and Oxycotin.
Fortunately, councillors approved a recommendation by staff that the zoning for a methadone clinic is the same as the zoning for any other type of clinic, such as a doctor's clinic or a physiotherapy clinic.
However, the other key player in this is Councillor Dean Pappas . He said that he was "bombarded" with phone calls about people concerned about methadone clinics. When asked what concerns they had expressed to which he stuttered and finally replied the number one concern of those who contacted him is the perception associated with a methadone clinic. The director of the meeting looked more than baffled, obviously expecting a more professional answer.
He tried to redeem himself by saying "I don't want to come off here as the anti-methadone guy because I know we need it. We need to get these people off drugs, we need to help them." Then he stuck his foot in his mouth again by saying, "The clinic is to be situated in between a spa and a gym and there are apartments above one of the other clinics whose residents have said they have foul language drift up to an open window.
Coun. Ann Farquharson was another voice of reason not seen in the video. She stated, "We are here as a planning committee. We're here to deal with planning issue. I think this report made it quite clear what the situation is. A clinic is a clinic is a clinic. It's doesn't matter if it's treating cancer patients or it's treating those addicted to drugs, or AIDS or anything else," she says. She says they are thrilled a new medical clinic is opening up in the former Zellers building and says they want more, not less, doctors and physicians in the city.
Coun. Patti Peeters had been directly effected by drug abuse because it had effected more than one person in her family. Therefore, she was very shook-up by the discussion to further delay the clinics opening.. It was obvious the matter bothered her deeply because she stated "Drugs are a devastating part of a person's family, they can destroy it...i want everyone to be aware we have a responsibility." She said the clinics are imperative."I not now or not ever will shuffle anyone out of the downtown core or any place because of the treatment they require," she says.
Dr. Sun says there is a negative connotation as to who is using the service because most people think that we're dealing with heroine addicts.but the majority of people at his clinic are addicted to prescription drugs, namely Oxycodone and Percocet. He tried to explain that we are not people who are out to get high & any one of us could be in that situation.
"You will think it is a medical clinic. It's clean like a medical clinic. People are treated with respect," he says, adding the use of methadone is simply one method. I really liked the comparison he made saying, "It's the same as saying you can have a clinic without using Penicillin. It's only one tool." He says the stigma surrounding his clinic and others in the city needs to be addressed & communication is the answer. How many more people need our help but are afraid because of the stigma. Through communication we'll resolve a lot of issues." They will also save a lot of lives.
NIMBY IN Pennsylvania
Kidder Township revokes bid for methadone clinic
The township zoning board revoked a permit for a proposed methadone clinic Monday, a decision met by applause from the many residents who opposed the clinic.
“We’re very thankful for all the residents who supported us,” said resident Maureen Collins, president of the Pocono Gateway Alliance, an organization of residents who oppose the clinic. “It proves that if people fight for something, something will be done.”
The zoning board voted unanimously to vacate the permit for Pinnacle Treatment Services to use the property on state Route 940 and near Interstate 80 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike for a methadone clinic, since Pinnacle is not a legal business entity.
“I feel very satisfied for my clients,” said Carole Walbert, attorney for the residents. “This was an issue that needed to be addressed. They needed a fair hearing, and they got a fair hearing.”
Kate Durso, attorney for Pinnacle Treatment Centers, said her clients had no comment on the decision.
Walbert said the residents would now wait to see if Pinnacle files an appeal. Even if Pinnacle is registered as a business entity, she said the township now has an ordinance prohibiting methadone clinics and Pinnacle would need a variance to apply for a new permit.
Collins said the residents would continue the fight if Pinnacle decides to appeal the board’s decision.
“If they want to appeal, we have plenty of ammo left,” she said.