WELCOMING LOCAL METHADONE CLINIC

There's good news for people who suffer with substance abuse and
addiction and their families.

A methadone therapy treatment center recently opened its doors in
Ferguson Township and local residents who need treatment will no
longer have to travel outside Centre County to deal with their addictions.

Used in the treatment of opiates such as heroin, OxyContin, Vicodin or
other opioid pain medications, methadone is the gold star treatment
for substance addiction and allows patients to manage their addiction
and enhance their social productivity.

The opening of the county's first narcotics treatment clinic moves the
local drug problem out of the shadows onto the pathway of improved
health and recovery. The clinic will go a long way in countering the
powerful negative effects of drug abuse and meeting the needs of the
community.

Traditionally met with resistance, methadone clinics' net worth are
not that they create problems, but that they help to address a problem
that already exists.

In 2009, an estimated 21.8 million Americans 12 or older had used an
illicit drug during the month prior to the survey interview, according
to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), sponsored by
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services.

This estimate represents 8.7 percent of the population aged 12 or
older. Illicit drugs include marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including
crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or prescription-type
psychotherapeutics used non-medically.

NSDUH estimates that in Centre County, 6.56 percent of the population
12 and older have used illicit drugs in the past month based on
surveys completed 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Removing the barriers that keep people from getting substance abuse
treatment is a step in the right direction. Once addiction is
diagnosed it should be treated like any other disease -- with easily
accessible care and professional treatment to advance the cure.

The methadone treatment center at 3091 Enterprise Drive, Suite 150, in
Cato Park, is an important step in meeting a social obligation to
address the ills in the community. The success of the center will
depend on the strong support of local residents.