ALTERNATIVES TO METHADONE EXIST

As heart-wrenching as the story is of Kathy in the Feb. 26 paper
("Patients wait, hope for clinic near home") I'm sure there are many
stories that never make the front page - the stories of those who
don't have her truly superhuman spirit to drive round-trip to
Shoreline before work.

Most of these stories end sadly for those who can't escape the
quicksand of drugs because treatment is too far away. We need drug
treatment in Everett. These are our family members, co-workers and
neighbors. The 200 people driving to King County are a small fraction
of the number who wish there were an easier way out of drugs. And there is.

There are newer approaches than methadone, which is known to be more
addictive than heroin. There are opiate antagonists that stop the
craving for the drug, without side effects and without creating a new
addiction, as methadone does. These include the buprenorphine/naloxone
combination, which is now FDA approved to be prescribed in-office by
local physicians, eliminating the need for a central drug clinic.
There is also acupuncture, successfully used for years in drug courts
in Minnesota and Florida. It relieves the discomfort of withdrawal.

A methadone clinic is not the only option. My suggestion to the
community would be to appoint a citizen panel composed of family
members of drug users, drug users themselves, health professionals,
alternative medicine practitioners, those from spiritual groups and
other interested community members. They could design effective
treatment plans not only for heroin, but for users of other addictive
drugs as well. There are cities that have led the way and we can
improve on what they've done. Let's make life easier for Kathy and
others like her who just want to get back on their feet.

Christine Giannini,

Everett