METHADONE DOWNTOWN CLINIC OPENS ITS DOORS

Simcoe Street Location Opened Monday

OSHAWA - An Oshawa methadone clinic has finally made its much-debated move
downtown.

On Monday, First Step Medical Clinic, which treats opiate addicts using
methadone, began seeing patients at its new 32 Simcoe St. S. address after
moving from its previous home just blocks away on King Street West.

Clinic pharmacist Komal Khosla said the clinic made a specific effort to
move in as "as quietly as possible" last weekend, so patients wouldn't have
to deal with media attention and public interest.

Earlier this year, several City councillors made a public issue of the
clinic's move when they claimed methadone treatment is associated with a
host of social problems. City council then attempted to block the move by
imposing an interim control bylaw and began a study on whether methadone
clinics are appropriate in the downtown central business district. However,
the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) overturned the bylaw, claiming there was
no planning rationale for council's decision. Council has appealed that
decision.

"We're in and we're very happy," said Mr. Khosla in an interview from the
clinic's new home. "Some of the neighbours have come by and told us they
saw no difference. No one even knows we're here."

Joanne Larmond has been a patient at the clinic since it first opened more
than five years ago. A Percocet prescription and an inability to give it up
led her to methadone maintenance therapy at the clinic.

In an interview outside the old location Tuesday, she said she has never
witnessed any of the problems councillors claim, either inside or outside
the clinic.

"There have been no problems," she said. "The people who are against this
place just don't know what goes on here."

Jeff Mandleson, part-time pharmacist at the clinic, says 70 to 80 per cent
of its clients are not addicted to heroin or other street drugs. He says
their medical problems have come from chronic pain or addiction to
prescription medications. He believes addiction should be treated like any
other disease or medical condition.

"What's different from a diabetic and having to take insulin every day?" he
asked.

Mr. Khosla concurred.

"We're a doctor's office and a pharmacy. There's no difference," he said.
"Who is to say what we can and cannot treat?"

Councillor Louise Parkes has been a vocal opponent of the clinic's move. In
an interview Tuesday afternoon, she said she noticed a lot of "different"
people in the area around the clinic when she drove by earlier in the day
and figured it must have opened.

"I can tell already today there's an impact," she said. "In my gut I know
there's going to be a major tragedy at this place. There will be problems,
it may be in two, three or four years' time, but there will be an impact in
this community and we can start to see that already today."

Coun. Parkes said the City's goal of a healthy and vibrant downtown core
will be nearly impossible to achieve with this and other social service
operations locating there.

She believes the clinic's clients will prevent other pedestrian traffic
from coming downtown and shopping at downtown businesses. She is concerned
that the clinic itself may not be following best practices and wondered if
a clinic of this size will begin attracting addicts from outside Oshawa
putting a strain on other services in the City.

Mr. Khosla said downtown is where the clinic's patients are and that's why
the clinic has moved in.

"Our clients are downtown, this is where we are accessible," he said. "To
say there's no drug problem in downtown Oshawa is absurd, just walk the
streets, take a look and you'll see, we aren't bringing these people with
us, they're already here."

Coun. Parkes said she would still like to work out arrangements with the
clinic to move to what she believes is a more suitable location and.
Barring that, she says she would continue with the study of whether
methadone clinics are appropriate downtown and also with council's appeal
of the OMB decision.