NEW CASTLE: More than 200 Lawrence County residents who are addicted to certain drugs have created a local market for methadone clinics.

(First in a series)

BY JOHN K. MANNA JMANNA@NCNEWSONLINE.COM

More than 200 Lawrence County residents who are addicted to certain drugs travel regularly to neighboring counties for treatment. They go to clinics in Cranberry Township in Butler County or Hermitage in Mercer County to receive their daily dose of methadone. But they may be able to cut down on their travel significantly if a developer receives approval to place a methadone treatment clinic on Sampson Street in New Castle. City council will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday to consider the request of the developer, Wish Management, to change the zoning on a portion of Sampson Street to allow the clinic. The number of people who obtain treatment in other counties is based on figures provided by Lawrence County Community Action Partnership. The agency administers the state's Medical Assistance Transportation Program, which reimburses clients for travel. Tom Scott, the partnership's chief executive officer, said there were 250 county residents who participated in the program as of Dec. 31, 2006. The state reimburses people 31 cents a mile for driving to medical clinics, including those that treat for drug addiction. Scott said the Lawrence County Assistance Office determines eligibility. Wish is one of two entities that have proposed the placement of methadone clinics in the city within the same time span. The other is Freedom Healthcare Services. Which leads to the question: Why the sudden interest in Lawrence County, or New Castle, to be more specific? "They're looking at New Castle because we have a huge problem," said Darcy McKinney, case management supervisor for the Lawrence County Drug and Alcohol Commission. The commission's responsibilities include assessing and referring for treatment individuals who are addicted to drugs. McKinney and Judy Thompson, commission director, explained that methadone is used to treat people who are addicted to opiates such as heroin, oxycodone, Percocet or Vicodin. Methadone, which is taken daily, keeps the body from going into withdrawal, but also blocks the high and cravings associated with heroin. "It's supposed to allow them to maintain their lifestyle," McKinney said. If a person somehow takes too much methadone, he or she becomes "drunk-like," she added. "If they're using methadone," Thompson pointed out, "they should be in a recovery stage." She said some people may be on it for years or for life. For people who want to be off methadone, clinics wean them down to a safe level before they take them off entirely, she explained. McKinney said that some of the problems associated with methadone are that "some people are using other drugs." While methadone blocks the effects of an opiate if a person were to take it, other drugs -- such as alcohol, cocaine, Xanax or Valium -- can create problems. The National Center for Health Statistics reported that approximately 2,400 deaths in 2003 involved combinations of methadone with other drugs, especially tranquilizers such as Xanax and Valium. But on the positive side, McKinney added, "I've seen a lot of very successful cases and people who will say it saved their lives."