A MORE HONEST, LESS SCARY VIEW OF METHADONE CLINICS

Kitts, of Bluefield, is co-director of the Virginia chapter, National
Alliance of Methadone Advocates.

In his March 7 commentary, "Put the methadone clinic at the VA Medical
Center," Jeff Artis wrote: "Also, let's be honest. At the site on
Hershberger Road, it's only a matter of time before the methadone
administered at the clinic will end up being sold on the street, probably
just a few blocks down the road from the clinic site. And who will be
selling this new product? Our children."

Let's do be honest, Mr. Artis, because it's erroneous, unfounded,
unsubstantiated statements such as this that make my job as a methadone
maintenance treatment advocate a tough one.

When readers see a statement like this from a self-proclaimed "community
leader," they take it for granted that the person making the statement has
researched the issue and that his statement can be backed up with data and
fact. They would be sadly mistaken in this case.

A recent study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, the agency of the federal government that oversees and
regulates methadone maintenance treatment in this country, showed that the
type of methadone that is dispensed from MMT clinics was a minuscule
percentage of the illicit methadone related to drug overdoses and street sales.

Honestly, we need to quote the principal of Galax Elementary School, who
said he had no idea the methadone maintenance clinic in Galax even existed
for months after it opened, even though the clinic is only three blocks
from the school.

Honestly, we need to let the public know that the overwhelming majority of
patients who attend methadone maintenance clinics are not the "zombie like"
"stoned junkie" "drug dealers" whose images are perpetuated in the horror
stories fed to the public by people like Artis. Rather, the patients are
people who are trying to straighten out their lives, to get treatment for
their disease.

Honestly, you couldn't pick an MMT patient out of a crowd. They are
lawyers, clergy, construction workers, police officers, etc.

Honestly, Mr. Artis, you should be ashamed to make an erroneous statement
like that, using the children to scare the public into backing your agenda.