MAYOR'S METHADONE STANCE RISKS ADDICTS' HEALTH

To the Editor:

While it is true that Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani "has no control --
financial or regulatory" over most of New York City's methadone programs,
it is not true that he could "do very little to force a retreat from the
synthetic drug" (news article, July 22). The Mayor has the power to prevent
or discourage New York City welfare offices from referring heroin-addicted
welfare recipients to public and private methadone programs.

The extent of heroin addiction among welfare recipients is hard to
estimate, but we do know that there are about 200,000 heroin users in New
York City, and a large percentage are candidates for public assistance. In
the last year welfare offices have been using sensible screening procedures
designed by the state and city to identify addicted clients who need
treatment in order to be employable. The Mayor would make it far more
difficult to help these New Yorkers get the help they need if he stopped
referrals to methadone clinics.

CATHERINE H. O'NEILL
V.P., Legal Action Center
New York, July 24, 1998

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski