Bill Would Limit County Methadone Locations

By ALLISON BOURG Staff Writer

Two north county lawmakers trying to ban methadone clinics from within a half-mile of schools and daycare facilities in Anne Arundel County will face their first hurdle in Annapolis tomorrow.

Sen. Bryan Simonaire crafted Senate Bill 19/House Bill 35 with Del. Steve Schuh in response to a methadone clinic that opened nine months ago in Brooklyn Park. A majority of the county’s delegation is co-sponsoring the bill.

“It highlighted the issue,” Mr. Simonaire, R-Pasadena, said of the Brooklyn Park clinic. “(The residents) just felt like they were out of the loop, that it was just thrown on them. These are people who have lived there for 40 or 50 years and take pride in their community.”

Methadone is a narcotic that helps ween drug addicts from heroin and other opiates. Advocates of methadone clinics say they perform a valuable service by getting addicts back on their feet and off drugs.

Opponents say the clinics – whose clients are drug abusers – can bring crime and other problems to a community.

Mr. Schuh, R-Gibson Island, said there’s a consensus in the General Assembly that methadone treatment is an important part of fighting heroin addiction.

“But the general conviction is these facilities need to be appropriately situated,” he said.

Residents weren’t consulted when Brooklyn Park Health Services, a private outpatient program, opened on Ritchie Highway, Mr. Simonaire said.

According to the federal Americans With Disabilities Act, they don’t have to be, he said.

“While they are good – I’m not against methadone clinics – I am concerned about them being in very close proximity to schools,” Mr. Simonaire said. “We’re trying to keep drugs away from our children.”

On Jan. 2, Brooklyn Park Health Services was bought by Starting Point, a chain of methadone clinics with locations in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia.

Brian Pritchard, one of the clinic’s owners, predicted Starting Point’s state license would be issued within the next few weeks, and he declined to comment on the bill until then. William Dorrill, a spokesman for the Maryland Office of Healthcare Quality, said Starting Point should receive its license in three weeks at the latest.

John Hammond, a spokesman for the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said the department doesn’t comment on pending legislation before a hearing.

The Brooklyn Park methadone clinic is the fourth one in the county. The other three are in Glen Burnie.

The bill wouldn’t apply to clinics that opened before Jan. 1, 2008.

Mr. Simonaire said the bill also contains language that allows the county to make the final call. County officials have the authority to name the best place for a methadone clinic by resolution or ordinance, the bill states.

Dr. Leon Flemembaum, medical director of EJAL Health Services Inc. in Glen Burnie, said politicians often have misconceptions about methadone clinics.

EJAL Health Services was the first methadone clinic in Glen Burnie when it opened 11 years ago, he said, and there was little outcry at the time.

Dr. Flemembaum said there have been no problems.

County police records on incidents related to methadone clinics weren’t immediately available. County police spokesman Sgt. Sara Schriver said that information requires a public information request, which takes at least 30 days.

Addiction, not treatment facilities, breeds crime, Dr. Flemembaum said.

“Addiction is all over,” said Dr. Flemembaum, who has heard that as many as 150,000 drug addicts live in metropolitan Baltimore. “That affects crime. When people are in treatment, they don’t need to attack people. They don’t need to rob people. When they are in treatment, the difference is like night and day.”

He estimates he’s treated about 4,300 patients at the clinic.

If the legislation passes, Dr. Flemembaum said he wouldn’t be surprised if there were a lawsuit based on the ADA.

Mr. Schuh said the bill had been thoroughly researched and based on legislation that has passed in other states.

(c) 2008 Maryland Gazette. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.