Pubdate: Sat, 28 Feb 2004
Source: Charleston Gazette (WV)
Copyright: 2004 Charleston Gazette
Contact:  http://www.wvgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/77
Author: Charles Kitts

METHADONE BILL IS TOO RESTRICTIVE

Editor:

As co-director of the Virginia chapter of the National Alliance of 
Methadone Advocates, I have no qualms with a bill in the Legislature that 
would tax methadone providers.

When Delegate Marshall Long, D-Mercer, started this "crusade," the 
foundation of his proposal seemed to be that the state mental health system 
wasn't getting enough revenue from these "for-profit" clinics. However, 
because of unfounded, untrue, ridiculous rumors of illicit methadone being 
peddled on the streets and of hundreds of stoned junkies wandering in and 
out of a legal drug distributorship, this bill has blossomed into one that 
would put unnecessary restrictions on an already well-regulated federal 
system and would violate federal privacy regulations by giving law 
enforcement easy access to patient information simply because they choose 
to treat their disease with a safe, legal medicine.

Charles Kitts

Bluefield, Va.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom