METHADONE CLINIC IN MERCER COUNTY RAISES CONCERNS

People In Mercer County Are Concerned Over The Possibility Of A
Methadone Clinic

PRINCETON -- A recent drug sweep in Mercer County has people
second-guessing the need for a methadone clinic in their county.

Residents are worried about the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs
being at these clinics.

During the sweep, police found prescriptions of liquid methadone.

They believe people are taking the liquid methadone from local
treatment centers and using it for sale on the streets.

Police caution that mixing liquid methadone with other illegal
substances can be fatal and several overdoses have been reported this
year.

Another concern is that there's no board of pharmacy regulation and no
true pharmaceutical controls.

There's no way to reference who is taking the drug and how much
they're being given, police say. There's also no way of telling
whether or not patients are getting prescriptions from more than one
clinic.

However, the decision to build the clinic isn't final yet.

Backers are still waiting for a certificate of approval from the state
Health Care Authority.