METHADONE CLINIC OPPONENTS SPEAK OUT TO SCHOOL BOARD

FLORENCE -- Opponents of a methadone clinic that plans to open on North
Cashua Drive expressed their concerns to the Florence School District 1
Board of Trustees at Thursday night's board meeting.

Beth Powers-Lamb, mother of two Carver Elementary School students, said her
decision to send her children to the school would have been affected by the
opening of a nearby drug treatment facility.

"We are new to Florence, and were not Carver bound, but chose Carver over
private schools," Powers-Lamb said. "But, our choice would have been very
different had we known this would happen."

She added that, though she objected to the location of the Starting Point
methadone clinic, she did not necessarily object to the opening of a
facility in Florence County.

Methadone is a synthetic narcotic used to treat opiate addictions.
Treatment is strictly regulated by the federal government, and, according
to the National Institutes of Health, is a scientifically-based method. The
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is aiming for
at least one clinic per county. The clinics must follow strict guidelines
for operation and location.

As required by DHEC standards, Starting Point is more than 500 feet from
the school. Still, Powers-Lamb said it's too close for comfort.

"I walked to the clinic today from the school, it took me four minutes
walking," she told the board. "How can a methadone drug clinic be placed so
close to a school?"

Sally Heydasch, president of the Carver parent-teacher organization and
mother of a student, said she had traffic concerns as the clinic will
operate primarily during early morning hours when parents are dropping
children off at school.

"We can't even get a traffic light," she said. "Safety is a big concern."

Dr. Gerald Jebaily, a local physician and associate director of the McLeod
Residency Program, addressed the safety issue from a medical stance. He
said that methadone is known to have a sedative effect which could feasibly
impair a person's ability to drive.

"They go to the clinic down the street from Carver, are given their fix in
liquid or tablet form, then they get in their car," he said. "Do you really
want someone driving in that condition, especially near a school?"

Jebaily concluded by saying that putting a methadone clinic next to a
school is "ridiculous."

Still, the arguments of the parents must be considered realistic to
persuade DHEC to revisit the issue.

"There must be concrete merit for an appeal, not simply a case of 'we don't
want this in this vicinity,'" said Claire Boatwright, public relations
officer for DHEC.

"This clinic has followed all the guidelines for selecting a location -- it
is more than 500 feet from a church, a public or private elementary or
secondary school, a boundary of any residential district, a public park
adjacent to any residential district or the property line of a lot devoted
to residential use," Boatwright said. "It will be run by a licensed
physician and have a pharmacist on site. So far, it seems they have
followed each guideline carefully as required by the state."

Opponents have 10 days from approval of the Certificate of Need to file an
appeal. Starting Point was approved by DHEC on Feb. 6. Boatwright said the
final day to file an appeal will likely be today as Monday is a holiday.

Dr. Joe Nelson, district superintendent, said the board is looking into the
matter.