U.S. OFFICIAL URGES TREATMENT, NOT HATE, FOR HEROIN ADDICTS

SAN FRANCISCO - White House drug czar Barry McCaffrey said Wednesday that
heroin addicts should not be shunned by communities but should get the
treatment they need for recovery, as do people with other diseases.

Speaking at the American Methadone Treatment Association's National
conference in San Francisco, McCaffrey said the challenge is making
effective, science-based treatment for addicts more available.

An estimated 1 million people nationwide are chronic opiate addicts, but
only about 179,000 are in methadone treatment, he said. "We are not talking
about a rare tropic disease, we're talking about a million of our citizens."

Methadone is a synthetic drug prescribed to blunt the craving for heroin
and ease withdrawal symptoms. Many researchers believe it is the best hope
for recovering heroin addicts.

Communities across the country have routinely fought methadone clinics in
their neighborhoods, claiming they bring with them crime and blight. On
Wednesday, plans to move San Mateo County's only methadone clinic to the
North Fair Oaks neighborhood were rejected by the planning commission after
emotional testimony from residents. The unanimous decision was immediately
appealed by the clinic's director.

A report released late last year by a panel of scientists convened by the
National Institutes of Health said heroin abuse is a treatable disease and
urges the expansion of methadone programs.