Some Washington County residents are naturally apprehensive about a plan to open a methadone clinic in Calais. The county, where adult arrest rates for possession of synthetic narcotics were nine times higher than Maine as a whole in 2000, however, cannot continue to send addicts trying desperately to quit their habit to Bangor or farther for treatment. Locating a clinic near where many of the state’s addicts lives makes sense and will complement the existing treatment programs in Washington County.

Methadone, a synthetic narcotic itself, is not for everyone seeking to end a drug habit. Because treatment with methadone requires daily doses of the drug, it is often the treatment of last resort for those addicted to heroin, pain killers and other narcotics. Those undergoing methadone treatment, at least in a clinic once a day for their dose. Because there are currently only four methadone clinics in the state – with Bangor being the farthest north and east – for many treatment means long daily drives. In effect, their treatment becomes a full-time affair making it difficult to hold down a job or raise a child.

Because methadone can also make a person drowsy, safety becomes a big concern for those driving to and from a faraway clinic. Those who remain free of illicit drugs – methadone clinic patients are routinely tested – may qualify for “take home” doses of the medication doing away with the need for daily trips. However, these people may be randomly called to report to the clinic with unused doses of methadone to ensure that they are staying on the regimen.

A new clinic can learn from the success of the Bangor facility, which met with fierce opposition before it opened in 2001. A major fear was that the methadone treatment center at Acadia Hospital would be a magnet for drug addicts and that the crime rate in the surrounding area would increase. However, police records show a decrease in local crime since the clinic opened and patient surveys suggest that clients have decreased or discontinued their use of illicit and illegal drugs.

The new clinic can also learn from mistakes made by the Portland clinic, the first in the state. Because it was first, many drug abusers were quickly pushed into a treatment system before it was ready to handle them. In addition, a rash of methadone-related deaths in southern Maine has led to stricter regulations for all the state’s clinics.

Because it also is an addictive drug, methadone remains a controversial treatment option. Some former drug addicts in Washington County have criticized plans for a clinic there saying the only way to quit drugs is to go “cold turkey.” It is great that such an approach worked for them, but many others don’t have the fortitude for this. The proposed clinic in Calais, which is expected to have between 75 and 100 clients, is not meant to end drug addiction in Washington County. Instead it will offer another avenue to an illegal- and illicit-drug free life for those seeking it. Those for whom methadone is appropriate may go to the clinic, saving themselves hours of driving. Those who would do best in another program will be directed there.

A methadone clinic in Calais will not end Washington County’s drug woes, but it will be a useful tool in lessening their impact.