Methadone clinic official gets mixed review in Conway, N.H.
CONWAY, N.H.—Many Conway officials and residents are up in arms over a proposal to open a methadone clinic that many say would attract drug users to the tourist town.
"What do we have to do to convince you to go elsewhere," Selectman Howard Dickinson asked Robert Potter, vice president of Community Substance Abuse Centers.
Potter emphasized that his company did not want a fight with town officials. But he wouldn't elaborate on the company's future plans.
"Trust me, we're not going to get into a legal issue," said Potter during the two-hour meeting on Tuesday.
Other community members, including a pharmacist, doctor and drug counselors said drug users are already in town and need treatment.
Dr. Wayne Cunningham, one of the region's two licensed drug and alcohol counselors, said kids are now abusing Ritalin and other drugs prescribed to children with attention deficit disorders.
Health providers said the town is ill-equipped to treat drug-users and existing programs, like Narcotics Anonymous, do not do enough to help addicts curb their addictions.
And Conway Police Chief Ed Wagner said the drug problem is growing.
"We have a huge marijuana problem, a growing cocaine problem and an astronomical pharmaceutical problem," Wagner said. He did not take a position on the proposed clinic.
Potter said the proposed facility would likely treat about 125 patients, including some from Maine. His company, which operates under the name Merrimack River Medical Associates in New Hampshire, runs 13 for-profit facilities in four New England states.
He also said drug testing and security procedures would be put in place to minimize drug abuse by patients. Substances would be taken in front of on-duty nurses. And drugs would be secured when the center was closed.
"It's easier to knock off an Osco or
But Potter spent most of his time trying to allay fears that the clinic would blight Conway's family friendly image. The town is best known for its ski slopes and outlet shopping.
Former selectman Michael Valladeres said he was "adamantly opposed" to the proposed methadone center. He said he would hire a lawyer if that's what it took to stop the facility from opening.
Methadone is used to treat various kinds of legal and illegal drug addictions, including heroin and painkillers like OxyContin and Vicodin.
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Information from: The Conway Daily Sun, http://www.mountwashingtonvalley.com
