Pubdate: Wed, 19 Dec 2007 Source: Rome News-Tribune (GA) Copyright: 2007 Rome News-Tribune Contact: http://www.romenews-tribune.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1716 Author: Larry Thomas Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment) CLARK COUNTY COULD FILE CLINIC INJUNCTION THURSDAY Clark County officials could seek an injunction against the Southern Indiana Treatment Center, a methadone clinic, as early as Thursday, county attorney Dan Moore said during a telephone interview Tuesday evening. "I think there are a lot of issues with the safety," said Moore. "I have my thoughts in my mind, and I've done my legal research." Last Thursday, the Clark County Commissioners voted 3-0 to seek an injunction against the methadone clinic, on the basis of public safety issues that became apparent when the clinic opened at its Charlestown Pike location a week ago today. If the injunction is granted, it could force the clinic to close its doors until it proves to the court that public safety issues relating to its operation have been addressed. Moore declined to comment on legal strategy, but said he likely would discuss the matter after the petition seeking the injunction is filed. The 1,400-patient clinic -- which is owned by California-based CRC Health Group -- moved from its longtime Jeffersonville location last week to a site that is in an unincorporated area of Clark County along Ind. 62. During the clinic's opening hours of operation last Wednesday, officers from the Clark County Sheriff's Department worked three vehicle crashes -- one involving minor injuries to four people -- and wrote 53 citations and had 13 vehicles towed. During Thursday's commissioners' meeting, CRC Regional Director Tim Bohman said the clinic would address parking problems by requiring employees to park off-site and then shuttling them to work. He also said the Southern Indiana Treatment Center had spoken with the property's owner about adding approximately 40 parking spaces behind the building. Following the commissioners' vote to seek the injunction, Bohman said he was "disappointed," but that he could not comment further on the threatened litigation. The commissioners have written, notarized statements from people who have witnessed safety problems stemming from the clinic's new location. As of early Tuesday afternoon, five statements had been submitted to the board's office. Moore said the quantity of the statements is less important than the detailed information included within them. The Southern Indiana Treatment Center obtained state permission to transfer its license to the Charlestown Pike location shortly before Gov. Mitch Daniels signed a law prohibiting new methadone clinics from opening in Indiana through the end of next year. During the moratorium, state officials are supposed to evaluate Indiana's methadone laws and determine whether they should become more stringent, to stem the influx of people from out of state seeking methadone treatments. The law Daniels signed was sponsored by State Sen. Connie Sipes, D-New Albany, and was ushered through the House by Rep. Steve Stemler, D-Jeffersonville. Stemler spoke during last week's commissioners' meeting, saying traffic and parking problems created by the Southern Indiana Treatment Center's move had gotten the attention of legislators throughout the state. Methadone is a synthetic opioid and a schedule II controlled substance under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act. It was introduced in the U.S. in the late 1940s for pain management before it began being used in opioid treatment programs in the 1960s, according to a November report published by the National Drug Intelligence Center. The report says that methadone "suppresses withdrawal symptoms, reduces cravings for opioid drugs and blocks the euphoric effects of opioids for 24 to 36 hours." On Tuesday, Stemler said that even with hot-button issues such as property-tax reform and local government restructuring facing the General Assembly during its short session in 2008, he believes there will be a re-writing of the state's methadone laws. "It's affecting our entire state," said Stemler. "It's isn't just isolated to Clark County. This is important enough, in terms of a safety issue, that something will be done in this session." As Moore did with his legal strategy, Stemler declined to provide specific details relating to legislative plan, but said legislators have discussed ideas ranging from the phasing out of Indiana's methadone clinics to finding a mechanism to make it cost-prohibitive for out-of-state residents to seek treatment in Indiana. Methadone Facts On Nov. 16, the National Drug Intelligence Center released the report "Methadone Diversion, Abuse and Misuse: Deaths Increasing at Alarming Rate." According to the report: - - Annual methadone poisoning, or overdose, deaths increased from 786 in 1999 to 3,849 in 2004, or 390 percent. - - During the same period, the number of deaths attributed to cocaine overdoses increased 43 percent, from 3,822 to 5,461. - - In 2001, nearly 1.9 million grams of methadone was distributed legitimately in the U.S. -- by hospitals, pharmacies and doctors -- but by 2006 the amount had increased to 6.6 million grams. - - Most methadone deaths are the result of methadone diverted from hospital, pharmacies, practitioners, pain management physicians and, to a much lesser extent, narcotics treatment programs and used in combinations with other drugs and/or alcohol. - - Some methadone deaths and nonfatal overdoses are the result of misuse of legitimately prescribed methadone by individuals who may not have been properly counseled by their physicians about the dangers of taking the drug in ways other than those prescribed, including a combination with other drugs and/or alcohol. - - Between 1999 and 2004, West Virginia was the state with the highest percentage increase in the number of methadone deaths, with an increase of 2,400 percent. Ohio ranked second at 1,650 percent and Kentucky ranked fourth at 1,400 percent. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D