Pubdate: Mon, 05 Feb 2001
Source: Surrey Leader (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 Surrey Leader
Contact:  http://www.surreyleader.com/
Author: Kevin Diakiw

SURREY METHADONE BYLAW SETS TREATMENT BACK A DECADE, EXPERT SAYS

Addiction specialists are furious over a "discriminatory" Surrey 
bylaw that limits the location of methadone clinics to hospitals.

"It sets methadone treatment back a good 10 years," says Peter 
Hickey, an executive director with the B.C. College of Physicians and 
Surgeons, the organization responsible for the province's methadone 
program.

Hickey says Surrey's bylaw contradicts proven science about methadone 
treatment and says the legislation is discriminatory.

"It borders, in a sense, on the interference in the practice of 
medicine. It's bizarre."

Experts say B.C. has one of the best methadone programs in North 
America, perhaps the world. This province is about 10 or 15 years 
ahead of its counterparts throughout North America, according to 
Hickey.

In fact, other countries look to B.C. as a model for their own 
programs, says Dr. Ray Baker, a specialist in addiction medicine. 
Texas, he says, recently adopted the B.C. model.

The cornerstone of this province's methadone program is the 
combination of community clinics and private doctors' offices that 
provide methadone services throughout B.C.

But Baker says the treatment of heroin addiction faced a major 
setback last week in Surrey, when council chose to restrict the 
location of methadone clinics to hospitals.

Methadone clinics are considered essential in the early stages of the 
program when patient needs are high.  Clinics can provide the 
attention a newly clean heroin addict requires, yet can't always 
receive, in a hospital setting.

Addiction specialists say Surrey needs community methadone clinics 
that provide counselling, therapy, outpatient programs and medical 
treatment. And they must be located where intravenous drug use 
thrives, typically in North Surrey.

However, civic representatives disagree.

Coun. Marvin Hunt feels the methadone program works best when the 
drug is administered through doctors' offices and local pharmacies, 
as it is now. That way, the program is dispersed throughout the 
community, is easily accessible and doesn't require a larger facility 
that would attract patients from throughout the region.

He's also reluctant to "ghettoize" North Surrey.

Currently about 35 physicians in Surrey and North Delta - who are 
consistently trained, monitored and audited - serve between 700 to 
800 methadone patients through their offices.

"I would suspect there are a couple of thousand (more addicts) that 
could benefit" from the methadone program, Baker says.

As for turning North Surrey into a "ghetto" that attracts addicts, 
Dr. Roland Guasparini, the medical health officer for the South 
Fraser Health Region, says the heroin users are already there. A 
local methadone clinic would simply offer them a way out of their 
addiction, thereby reducing any threat they may represent to the 
community.

A successful program means fewer active heroin addicts, a lower 
incidence of HIV infection and less property crime, Guasparini says.

Compounding the problem is that the region's hospital officials say 
they will not be hosting a methadone facility in the foreseeable 
future.

Hickey says it's only a matter of time before Surrey officials 
realize what an immense mistake they've made.

"Maybe you sit back and wait for the local crime rate to start 
increasing, and your hospitals to fill up with all the associated 
ailments and conditions of heroin addiction," Hickey says. "And then 
you turn around and say to city council, 'Okay, now what other bright 
ideas do you have here?' because they're going against all recognized 
science here."

While physicians remain critical of the city's stance, several North 
Surrey residents congratulated city officials when the bylaw was 
passed.

Residents complain that methadone patients walk the streets in a 
"zombie" state and leave hypodermic needles throughout the 
neighbourhood.

An addict on the program isn't using needles, Baker says, and after 
about a month, shows no signs of methadone use.
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