http://www.fox44.net/Global/story.asp?S=9909182
Associated Press – February 26, 2009
Laconia, N.H. – The company that hopes to open a methadone clinic in Laconia, N.H., doesn’t believe it should have to have a police officer there watching over it’s clients.
Colonial Management Group has won approval to open an outpatient clinic in the city, but one condition of the Planning Board approval is that the clinic hire an off-duty officer to be there when it serves clients.
Police Chief Michael Moyer said he worries clients may become impaired by their methadone treatments and unstable to drive safely. He says a clinic requests to hire a uniformed secrurity guard instead is not good enough.
The clinic is appealing the police requirement to the Planning Board.
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I have been on Methadone for almost seven years successfully. I have attended several different clinics in that time and only one had an off-duty office in uniform on the premises and that was because this clinic served over 1000 patients a day and the officer was there just to make sure everything stayed in order, not to watch over the clients to see if they were impaired by their doses.
I think it is absurd to waste money on an officer in this manner. I have NEVER been unable to drive or felt that I was impaired in any way. That is one thing that the public doesn’t understand. By the time most of us reach MMT, our bodies can tolerate massive amounts of opiates with little or no side-effects. Instead of concentrating on Methadone clinics, why doesn’t every single bar hire an officer to make sure that the patrons are not leaving drunk. They would save a hell of a lot more lives that way!!
Thank you Jennifer, I could not agree MORE!