Pubdate: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 Source: Oshawa This Week (CN ON) Website: http://www.durhamregion.com/ Address: 865 Farewell St., Oshawa, Ontario L1H-7L5 Email: (905)579-1809 Author: Christy Chase, Staff Writer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone) METHADONE CLINIC RAISES CONCERNS Downtown Businesses Against The Move OSHAWA - The proposed relocation of a local methadone clinic is raising concerns among local merchants and some councillors. For more than two hours Monday, City councillors questioned the doctor and pharmacist involved in the treatment of people addicted to opiates and also heard from downtown merchants about the new home of the clinic. Operating for close to five years on King Street at Nassau Street, the clinic will be moving to the old National Trust building on Simcoe Street just north of Athol Street. The building owner has applied for a building permit which City staff said could be issued by the end of the week. That matter will be debated in a special development services committee and council meetings Wednesday afternoon. "That's enough in my backyard," said Anna Visconti, a downtown business owner and vice president of the Downtown Oshawa Board of Management, at Monday's operational services committee. "My backyard has taken more than enough." She said business and building owners are concerned about the impact of the clinic on the area. She said several owners were asked to rent their buildings for the clinic in the last year but refused. The downtown already has soup kitchens and drop-in centres for the homeless, she said. There are certain areas of the downtown where people don't want to walk and she doesn't want to see another street changed like that, she said. Darryl Sherman, chairman of DOBOM, said a methadone clinic in the downtown doesn't fit in with Vision 2000, a council-backed plan which calls for retail, office and residential uses in the downtown. In an interview Tuesday morning, he said the board has two legal opinions that the methadone clinic is not a permitted use in the downtown. City staff has said the clinic is a permitted use. Dr. Mike Semoff, who runs the clinic, and Komal Khosla, a pharmacist and owner of New Vision Pharmacy, told the committee the clinic has operated for close to five years in its current location with many people unaware of its existence. Its neighbours have had no problems with the clinic and its clients, they said. They need to move to find more space, they added. The clinic has about 480 patients who receive methadone, which reduces cravings for opiates but doesn't produce a high. Dr. Semoff has special training from the College of Physicians and Surgeons to allow him to treat opiate addicts and to run a methadone clinic. Dr. Khosla said his pharmacy is licensed to dispense methadone. The operation has been audited by the College 30 times over the years, Dr. Semoff said. At the clinic, people who are addicted to opiates (such as medication containing codeine) receive a daily dose of methadone, a powder mixed with orange juice in the pharmacy, Dr. Semoff said. His clients see him once a week usually for counselling and prescriptions and visit the pharmacy daily to get their methadone. Methadone treatment is a long-term treatment and most of his clients will be on it for the rest of their lives, he said. The methadone stabilizes them and allows them to work and lead regular lives, he said. Mr. Khosla said 80 per cent of his clients are working people who show up at the clinic, get their methadone and then leave. The other 20 per cent are on social assistance, he said. Almost all are addicted to prescription drugs, he added. To questions about clients loitering around and potentially causing problems for shoppers and business people in the downtown, Dr. Semoff said he doesn't allow loitering and works with clients to change their behaviour. Mr. Khosla said a handful of people may line up outside the clinic before it opens in the morning but they do so because they work and don't want to be late. Mr. Khosla said the clinic rarely has to call police because of problems. Durham Regional Police Inspector Bob Chapman told the committee police have had little business with the clinic. He added there have been six known methadone-related deaths in Oshawa in the last 30 months and there are connections to methadone clinic clients, but he can't say which clinics. Not all merchants are concerned, however. Lisa Antablian, who has her business four stores north of the proposed location and also lives downtown, said she has no problem with the clinic's new home. "It's fear-mongering," she said of the reaction to the move. "It's the worst case of not-in-my-backyard that I've heard in a long time. It's just politics. What we want to know is will they be good neighbours and bring business to the downtown." Outside the meeting, Mr. Khosla said he's frustrated at having to explain and defend the clinic, when it's already been operating without problems. "It's a little frustrating but unfortunately that's the reality," he said. Both he and Dr. Semoff said they are willing to meet with local merchants to discuss the clinic. Last year, council turned down a proposal to rent a commercial unit in McLaughlin Square for the clinic. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager