QUOTE OF THE DAY

S.F. CONSIDERS INCREASING WAYS TO GET METHADONE

SAN FRANCISCO -- The shortage of methadone treatment in San Francisco --
2,000 clinic slots for 13,000 to 15,000 addicts -- has led city officials
to look at expanding the drug's availability.

The board of supervisors is considering whether to seek state and federal
permission to allow doctors in private offices to prescribe the drug, which
is used to treat heroin addiction.

No serious opposition has arisen in San Francisco, which has a serious
heroin problem. The city ranks third in the nation in heroin-related
emergency-room admissions.

"There are far too few clinics throughout the country," said Dr. Steven
Batki, who led San Francisco General Hospital's addiction-treatment
programs for 16 years. "Less than 180,000 out of a million heroin addicts
are in methadone treatment."