News (Media Awareness Project) - CN BC: Public Will Have Its Say On Methadone Delivery |
| Title: | CN BC: Public Will Have Its Say On Methadone Delivery |
| Published On: | 2003-04-07 |
| Source: | Surrey Now (CN BC) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-20 20:13:51 |
PUBLIC WILL HAVE ITS SAY ON METHADONE DELIVERY
The public will have its say Monday on a controversial bylaw aimed at
controlling Surrey methadone dispensaries.
City officials say the proliferation of methadone dispensaries in Whalley
has contributed to increased crime in the area and accuse the provincial
government of failing to properly monitor and control its methadone
maintenance program.
Surrey has already boosted business licence fees for drug stores whose
primary trade is the supply of methadone to recovering heroin addicts from
$195 per year to $10,000, a move that is being challenged in the courts.
Last month, council gave preliminary approval to a bylaw that would require
pharmacists to keep a registry of methadone patients and give police access
to those lists. The new bylaw has come under fire from doctors, pharmacists
and civil libertarians who call it an invasion of privacy.
The city says some dispensaries let methadone patients take home quantities
of the drug without a proper prescription from a doctor, a violation of the
program rules. City solicitor Craig MacFarlane told council methadone is
being illegally sold or traded on the street for other drugs.
Council has invited the public to say its piece on the bylaw at a special
meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday at City Hall.
On Friday, city officials met with representatives of the provincial health
ministry, the local health authority and the colleges representing doctors
and pharmacists in a last-ditch attempt to find a solution.
"The municipality shouldn't have to do this. We don't want to go down this
road," Coun. Dianne Watts said of the registry bylaw.
"We need them to come up with a plan on how to help us deal with the issue."
If the provincial authorities come up with such a plan council won't go
ahead with final approval of the controversial legislation, Watts said. The
bylaw is a pressure tactic designed to force the province to act.
"We want to ensure the people who have the tools to enforce are doing the
job. Then we won't have to do this. We're not interested in knowing who is
on methadone or in restricting people from getting their methadone."
The public will have its say Monday on a controversial bylaw aimed at
controlling Surrey methadone dispensaries.
City officials say the proliferation of methadone dispensaries in Whalley
has contributed to increased crime in the area and accuse the provincial
government of failing to properly monitor and control its methadone
maintenance program.
Surrey has already boosted business licence fees for drug stores whose
primary trade is the supply of methadone to recovering heroin addicts from
$195 per year to $10,000, a move that is being challenged in the courts.
Last month, council gave preliminary approval to a bylaw that would require
pharmacists to keep a registry of methadone patients and give police access
to those lists. The new bylaw has come under fire from doctors, pharmacists
and civil libertarians who call it an invasion of privacy.
The city says some dispensaries let methadone patients take home quantities
of the drug without a proper prescription from a doctor, a violation of the
program rules. City solicitor Craig MacFarlane told council methadone is
being illegally sold or traded on the street for other drugs.
Council has invited the public to say its piece on the bylaw at a special
meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday at City Hall.
On Friday, city officials met with representatives of the provincial health
ministry, the local health authority and the colleges representing doctors
and pharmacists in a last-ditch attempt to find a solution.
"The municipality shouldn't have to do this. We don't want to go down this
road," Coun. Dianne Watts said of the registry bylaw.
"We need them to come up with a plan on how to help us deal with the issue."
If the provincial authorities come up with such a plan council won't go
ahead with final approval of the controversial legislation, Watts said. The
bylaw is a pressure tactic designed to force the province to act.
"We want to ensure the people who have the tools to enforce are doing the
job. Then we won't have to do this. We're not interested in knowing who is
on methadone or in restricting people from getting their methadone."
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