CLINIC TO WEAN HEROIN ADDICTS OPENS AT LAST

After months of waiting, a $450,000 methadone-treatment clinic in
North Cornwall Township is finally up and running.

Housed in a small, red-brick building off Chestnut Street on
county-owned land next to New Perspectives at White Deer Run, the
clinic began distributing methadone to clients last Wednesday.

"We're pleased that it's running," said county Commissioner Larry
Stohler, who was instrumental in getting the clinic built. "And it's
running smoothly."

The facility uses methadone -- a legal and powerful drug similar to
morphine, but less habit-forming -- to treat people addicted to
heroin and other opiates. Methadone is used as a substitute drug to
block the cravings and withdrawal symptoms of addicts.

The clinic began with 10 patients, but has received permits to handle
a maximum of 105 patients daily.

However, getting to this point hasn't been easy. Officials had to cut
through a lot of red tape to open the clinic's doors last week.

"We've basically been waiting for licenses since January," said Penny
Harris, clinic director/acting clinical supervisor.

Despite a grand-opening ceremony at the beginning of the year, the
clinic was not able to treat patients until last week. Harris
explained that the clinic was required to get a state license,
including a license to distribute methadone, as well as a license
from the federal Drug Enforcement Agency. After acquiring both in
May, the clinic had to order the methadone, a process that involved a
considerable amount of red tape on its own.

But, everything is finally in order, Harris said. The clinic has
methadone on hand and is accepting patients.

"It's a very highly regulated activity, so it takes a little longer
than some of us would have liked to get everything done," Stohler
said. "But that's what you have to do."

Patients take methadone orally, although Harris said she suspects
some of them would prefer another option.

"By the looks on their faces, it must be something like cough syrup,"
she said. "I don't think it tastes very good at all."

People addicted to opiates -- heroin or other derivatives of opium --
end up at the clinic either through a referral from the Lebanon
County Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, as a transfer from
another clinic or by simply calling the clinic to set up an admission
appointment.

The clinic is open six days a week. Most patients take a daily dose
of methadone early in the morning before heading off to work, Harris
said. Patients take the drug home with them for the seventh day, Sunday.

The goal of the program is to slowly wean patients off the drug, Harris said.

"Eventually, they will get to a dose where it blocks their opiate
receptors in their brain so they can't get high anymore," she said.
"Once they're at that stable dose for six months, then we'll talk to
them about tapering off of it."

Sue Klarsch, executive director of the Drug and Alcohol Commission,
said the clinic's opening is a big step toward getting local
residents some much-needed help.

"It is very exciting. We're delighted to get it open," she said. "I
think more people who need this level of care will now be able to
access it. I also think we're going to see a decrease in crime and a
decrease in opiate trafficking in the county."

In the past, Klarsch said, patients had to travel to Harrisburg or
Chambersburg for treatment.

"It's such a tough commitment to travel to Harrisburg and back and
get to work in the morning," she said.

Among the 10 current patients, seven are from Lebanon County, one is
from northern Lancaster County and two are from Schuylkill County,
which does not have a clinic of its own, Harris said.

"I would encourage anyone on opiates to go there and turn their lives
around," Stohler said. "I'm hopeful that more people in the county
who need this help will take advantage of it."