Pubdate: Sat, 21 Jun 2003 Source: Bluefield Daily Telegraph (WV) Copyright: 2003 Bluefield Daily Telegraph Contact: http://www.bdtonline.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1483 Author: C. Kenna Amos, Bluefield Daily Telegraph Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone) AREA OFFICIALS VOICE CONCERN ABOUT FACILITY PRINCETON - Objections to a proposed for-profit methadone clinic in Mercer County have already surfaced. At last Thursday's meeting of the Princeton-Mercer County Chamber of Commerce, a unanimous resolution passed that objects to a methadone clinic being established in Princeton. "The gist of the resolution about the clinic is this," Princeton City Manager Doug Freeman said Friday. "To the elected state government representatives and the Health Care Cost Review Authority, we are asking for further education and information before any decision is made to place a clinic in Princeton." Freeman also said, "We are asking them to review the true need of the clinic." "I'm assuming there is some efficacy in these clinics being developed. However, there are ones already in Beckley and Tazewell. I don't know if there is a true need, based on population, for one to be developed in Princeton," Dan Dunmyer, CEO of Princeton Community Hospital, said. "I'm concerned as a parent and as a resident of Mercer County about what problems might result." "My concern is that prior to Jan. 1, 2001, West Virginia had no methadone clinics. The state has no regulations applying to the operation of these clinics," Dr. Michael McNeer, a psychiatrist and addiction-medication specialist at Springhaven Inc., said. "All surrounding states have regulations governing the operations of methadone clinics. The federal regulations (42 Code of Federal Regulations Part 8) have recently been rewritten and are quite liberal concerning admission to these clinics." Another of McNeer's concerns is about the effect of those federal regulations. "I feel very strongly about the potential harm of widespread, loosely-regulated treatment," he said. "In an area where prescription drug abuse and diverting drugs from their assigned use is rampant - and appears to be an accepted, significant and ingrained part of our economy - I have concerns about misuses and diversion (being allowed through) these increasingly liberal and sometimes vague regulations." Yet another of McNeer's concerns is about the drug's toxicity and lethality to current or first-time users. "Methadone is an abusable, addicting, potent, dangerous drug when used inappropriately," he said. "Even when used carefully, because of its extreme potency and metabolic complexity, methadone is a very dangerous drug - particularly when taken with drugs such as alcohol, tranquilizers and sedatives." Dunmyer said that "I don't want to be perceived that we want things to be kept out. But we want to make sure services that are being provided are necessary and safe." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake