METHADONE CLINIC A CAUSE FOR HOPE

I have been volunteering with AIDS Saint John since 1990 and I was
part of the board 18 years ago that decided to, under cover of
darkness, practically speaking, provide clean needles to those who
needed them so they could safely inject free of potential
and deadly diseases. In the intervening years drug use has grown to
be an enormous problem in our province, with an exponential increase
in crime, broken lives and families, lost jobs and lost lives.

For several years now I have been volunteering in the Needle
Exchange Program based at AIDS Saint John and I have heard harrowing
stories and have witnessed people begging for a walk-in methadone
clinic as they struggle to overcome their addictions.

At the N.E.P., we have clients from St. Stephen to Sussex and all
points in between so for people to say it's just a city problem are
off-base. To read on Monday that a methadone clinic was now a
reality in our city gave cause for great hope.

I want to say thank you to Mike Murphy and Ed Doherty for responding
to such obvious need but I want to save my biggest thanks for Julie
Dingwell, executive director of AIDS Saint John and to Saint John
Police Chief Bill Reid. Without their constant pushing, lobbying
and their determination to go forward, the new methadone clinic
would not be a reality.

All of our area will benefit from their attitude of caring. Thank
you again to everyone who made this happen.

JUDITH MEINERT-THOMAS

Saint John