METHADONE CLINIC CLOSING DOORS IN NOVEMBER

Following four years of operation, the methadone clinic will close its
doors in Prince George on Nov. 30. Founder and co-owner Bill Leslie said
it's been "dying by attrition."

"When a client leaves, we can no longer fill that space with a new client."

There's no lack of clients, but the problem is finding doctors to provide
the methadone which helps abusers get off heroin, morphine and other opiates.

The only doctor active in the MetaClinic is Dr. Peter Morry from Houston
who travels here every two weeks to see clients.

Because there's only one doctor, the B.C. College of Physicians and
Surgeons limits the number of clients to 60 at any one time.

The doctor gets paid through billing the Medical Services Plan, and B.C.
social services puts in about $8,400 per month for the 60 clients.

"But our overhead is more than $11,000 per month for the doctor's
travelling and accommodation, staff, rent, heat and everything else. We
cannot feasibly afford to keep it open," Leslie said.

"We had two doctors on board for two years, but for the past two years it's
been a losing proposition."

Leslie said he feels bad to have to close the clinic.

"I was raised in Prince George and my family is still there. I hate having
to do this," he said

"We've had about 600 clients go though the program since it opened in
October, 1999, and we've seen remarkable changes in some lives. But we
won't just close the doors and tell our clients 'we'll see you later.'
We've been able to refer them to supportive doctors in the community who
were just too busy to work in the clinic."

There are only three doctors in the city who are licensed to provide methadone.

Leslie said "a rough guess" is there are 500 drug users in Prince George,
and he noted there's been a "major Increase" in users of crack cocaine
during the past few years.

He said a problem with treating cocaine addicts is "that we don't have a
tried and true pharmaceutical product to block the cravings of cocaine like
methadone blocks the cravings of opiates."

Leslie and his partner, Dr. June Postnikoff, now operate a clinic in Red
Deer where there are 150 clients being treated by three doctors.

The partners opened a clinic in Nanaimo about three years ago, but it went
down the same road as MetaClinic.

"Basically we went bankrupt, but clients in Nanaimo are going to an
established clinic there with seven doctors involved."