Pubdate: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 Source: Sentinel Review (CN ON) Copyright: 2005 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. Contact: http://woodstocksentinelreview.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2385 Author: Heather Rivers-Harron & Jon Willing, Staff Writers Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment) OPIATE CLINIC OPENS IN CORE A downtown methadone clinic recently opened its doors to those trying to gain control of their lives after facing opiate addictions, but not everybody is pleased with its central location. Clinic 461, which opened in early January, is located directly across from Museum Square. "The BIA isn't very pleased," Business Improvement Area manager Kelly Mahaffy said yesterday. "We're not happy with their chosen location," Although Mahaffy said "Woodstock is fortunate to have this clinic," she's concerned that it's in the heart of downtown. Methadone is used to relieve the symptoms of withdrawal from opiates like oxycontin and heroin. "We're not a general addiction clinic," said Dr. John Craven, co-founder of the clinic and associate director of the London methadone clinic. "We're specifically a methadone maintenance clinic. All you need to come here is a valid health card and an opiate addiction." A satellite of a London methadone clinic, it currently services about 70 people who are addicted to opiate drugs. "Methadone treats physical dependencies. It gives (patients) the opportunity to recover from their addiction," Craven said. "Methadone sits on the brain receptors like glue. It doesn't do anything to affect the thinking." Oxford Community Police Service Chief Ron Fraser said the force is aware of the downtown clinic and officers will be keeping a "watchful eye" on that section of the core. "Our concern is that we're monitoring the people who are hanging around," Fraser said, noting the clinic "is something that may be needed in this community." Despite some concerns that have surfaced about the methadone clinic, Mayor Michael Harding is not too worried. "I think it's a positive step and the public has nothing to fear from this clinic," Harding said. "The fact that (drugs like oxycontin) are so readily available is what we should be concerned about. "As far as the fear that these are street people - well, addiction transcends economics." Part of the problem is that many people don't understand what the methadone clinic does, Mahaffy noted. "That's what the fear is," she said. "We don't know a lot about it." Downtown stakeholders will "have to embrace" the operation, Mahaffy said. Craven said most of his clients are struggling with an addiction to oxycontin. "I consider oxycontin a working man's heroin," he said. Craven said he never asks where or how his clients obtain their drugs. "Treatment of addictions is not an easy thing. I ask them what I need to know to get them better. I ask them what they're taking, how much and how they take it," he said. The new facility has raised a few eyebrows with local mental health providers who are seeking a closer relationship with the facility. "We're very pleased we have a treatment centre," said Patricia Edwards, director of mental health services at Woodstock General Hospital. "We want to have a strong partnership and continuity of care. We have individuals in common and many have concurrent issues. "We want to ensure a whole system of care is available to those individuals that need it. We're going to work towards that." But Craven is hesitant to push psychiatric help down the throats of his clients for fear it will scare them away. "I think people deserve treatment for addiction regardless of whether they're ready to deal with other things in their life," he said. "Addiction is a separate and distinct thing that requires separate and distinct treatment. That's what we do; that's all we do." While Craven is happy to point those seeking further treatment in the right direction, he draws the line with sharing information with other agencies. "Frankly, the issues of privacy and confidentiality are extremely important to the work we do," he said. Craven said he became interested in opiate addiction after he faced a battle of his own. "I'm in recovery myself for alcohol and other drug problems," Craven said. He was treated at Homewood Health Care and is also a graduate on Ontario Medical Physician's Health Program, a program for doctor's in recovery. "When I went through my own stuff, I learned people can recover from them," he said. Frustrated in his job as chief psychiatrist at St. Joseph's Health Care in London where he felt he had to turn away patients that needed his help, he turned to addiction recovery for a new challenge. "I have never done such rewarding work as this," he said. The clinic is operated by Dr. Don Fuller, two pharmacists - Hesham Abdelsayed and Joe Odumodu - and Craven, who does assessment work. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek