Pubdate: Sun, 19 Jun 2005
Source: Portland Press Herald (ME)
Copyright: 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
Contact:  http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/744
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?131 (Heroin Maintenance)

SCARBOROUGH SHOULD QUICKLY FIND SITE FOR METHADONE CLINIC

A Scarborough resident last week warned the Town Council it would be
"asking for trouble" if it didn't vote to extend a moratorium on
methadone clinics in town.

The woman told of the tragic case of her son, a Westbrook resident who
died of a methadone overdose at age 18. He got the drug from someone
being treated at a methadone clinic, she said.

The council ended up voting to extend the moratorium until Nov. 1.
Ironically, however, allowing more methadone clinics into communities
can help avoid such tragedies.

True, it's a problem if a clinic has a practice of giving addicts
large doses of methadone to take home. But what communities don't
realize is that becomes less necessary if addicts can get to a clinic
in their home communities to get the daily dose of methadone they need.

Consuming the drug on premises means less methadone
diversion.

It would be nice if Maine didn't need methadone clinics. However,
there is a problem with heroin addiction in the state - with
accompanying crime - and methadone therapy is a treatment that works.
It allows heroin addicts to become contributing members of society
again.

It's not unreasonable for a community to want to take some time to
think about the best place to site a clinic.

Scarborough enacted an emergency moratorium in May in response to an
inquiry by a potential operator. The town shouldn't need until
November to identify suitable locations.

It appears other factors are coming into play. Councilor Shawn Babine
admitted, "I'll be honest, if it's in my backyard, I don't want it."

However, if communities don't help heroin addicts get the help they
need at a convenient location, they may well have the crime associated
with heroin addiction in their backyards instead.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin