Pubdate: Mon, 01 Mar 2004
Source: Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN)
Copyright: 2004 The Knoxville News-Sentinel Co.
Contact:  http://www.knoxnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/226
Author: Julie Howle
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)

NEW METHADONE CLINIC HAS NEIGHBORS UNEASY

Ailor Ave. Businesses Seek To Stop Opening

Sixteen businesses in the Ailor Avenue area share a common goal: to
stop a methadone clinic from coming into the neighborhood.

"I have as much sympathy and compassion as any human being, but the
concern is the potential behaviors of people who have drug
addictions," said Ernest Youngblood, owner of the life insurance
company Ernest Youngblood Associates and Optimum, The Employee
Benefits Group Co.

Mary Little, regional supervisor for the Knoxville medical clinics
owned by Drug-Research-Development Management Inc., said the methadone
clinic on Bernard Avenue has never had problems with its neighbors.

"In fact, they (the Bernard Avenue clinic's neighbors) gave us letters
of support when we applied for our CON (certificate of need) for this
location," Little said.

The new clinic, which is set to open at 412 Citico St. off of Ailor
Avenue, will distribute methadone, a synthetic narcotic that can ease
cravings for opiate drugs like heroin and OxyContin and also help with
withdrawal symptoms.

Frank Grace, attorney for the DRD Management clinic, said the facility
is needed because of the growing volume of patients in Knoxville and
the surrounding areas.

Little said the group wanted to separate the large clinic on Bernard
Avenue into two smaller clinics so it can divide the population and
accept more patients to alleviate a waiting list.

"We are really a program that strives to improve the quality of
people's lives," she said.

Attorney Steve Roth said the Ailor Avenue businesses worry about the
clinic's impact on the neighborhood.

"They're concerned about the kind of image that's going to create in
the area, and they're concerned about the amount of traffic it will
cause," Roth said.

Youngblood thinks the clinic could pose a security
problem.

Many of the businesses share parking lots, he said.

"It's one giant sea of asphalt with nothing separating it," Youngblood
said.

He also said the "potential behaviors" of the clinic's patients has
"caused fears in our female employees walking to their cars at night."

Youngblood also said potential break-ins are a concern.

"We're concerned for the security of our property and the security of
our workers," Youngblood said.

Little disagrees. She said she believes the clinic's neighbors at the
Bernard Avenue location would have brought any security or traffic
issues to her attention.

"There's a misconception that our patients are criminals, and that's
not true," Little said.

She said approximately 92 percent of the applicants the clinic treats
are addicted to OxyContin, not heroin.

"The heroin is not a problem here. It's the prescription drugs,"
Little said.

She said many of the patients had medical problems and have become
addicted to their pain medications.

Shannon Lowe is a pharmacist for Cardinal Health, which operates a
pharmacy in the area. She said area businesses hired Roth to see if
the proposed clinic has complied with state and local requirements
related to the permitting process.

Roth said the group is checking on the certificate of need for the
methadone clinic as well as the process in which the building permit
was issued.

Little said the clinic should open and start serving patients soon.
She said the clinics don't just distribute methadone. They also help
patients with job training, job applications and resumes.

"That's what we're trying to do, get them back in society so they can
pay taxes and help their families," Little said.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin