CLINICS MUST HELP CONTROL SPREADING PROBLEM

Clinics that prescribe the highly potent narcotic methadone are the target
of area law enforcement officials who want clinics to provide improved
cooperation in order to reduce abuse.

Crimes involving the abuse of methadone are rising in the southern counties
of West Virginia, as well as throughout the Mountain State and police want
to bring a halt to methadone being prescribed by a clinic and then the drug
sold or diverted to the streets for illegal use.

During the past several months there has been at least two and possibly
more cases in Circuit Court involving deaths of drug users who either
overdosed with methadone obtained from another person or combined methadone
(obtaining from someone else) with other drugs, resulting in death. These
cases have resulted in criminal charges against the people who provided the
methadone. And, rightly so.

Because of problems caused by clinic participants who violate the law, we
have many questions about the legalized distribution of methadone as a
method of controlling drug use and helping offenders "taper off".

We are seeing many examples of drug sales involving methadone in courts weekly.

The state legislature and the Department of Health & Human Services saw fit
to put a freeze on granting licenses for more clinics to be opened in the
state and we wholeheartedly support their action until there is proper control.

We have had numerous abuses reported to the Daily Telegraph during the past
few years including people who share the drug with friends. We even had one
report of a clinic attendee removing a portion of the drug from the
container and selling it while taking the portion left, continuing his/her
methadone usage while feeding the drug traffic in the area.

We commend local law enforcement agency leaders and the task forces charged
with bringing the problem under control. The job they are tackling seems
ever-growing and we understand when officers complain that for every
arrested drug abuser or seller, two more seem to pop up in the neighborhood.

We urge the public to cooperate with police and provide information that
will lead to arrests. We, as citizens, are responsible for the well-being
of a community that is working to become drug-free.