Treating opiate addiction by giving addicts opiates has always been a hard sell, both for addicts and the general public. The public sees it as an admission of a sometimes hidden problem in the community and wonders why addicts just can’t kick narcotics altogether. The addicts themselves, even if they want to use the services, may be worried about revealing an addiction – either because insurance will pay for it or the simple matter of being seen at a clinic.
Despite these universal challenges, Rutland hosted a public forum that brought health professionals together with law enforcement to move the plan forward, a plan for a substance abuse facility where doctors would be specially licensed to give methadone or other drugs to addicts.
As reported by the Rutland Herald, the idea of a methadone clinic it Rutland was soundly defeated a decade ago. Input from police and the public, worried about attracting drug users to the area, squashed the idea. It looks like things are different this time around. This time, police are on board. It’s hard to say if the cops have become more enlightened or if it’s based on drug-seeking crime statistics, like burglary and theft.
Current programs exist, but doctors who prescribe methadone or Suboxone (another drug for addiction) need special training and licensing to do so. Because of this, it is likely that physician to staff the proposed facility would have to be recruited.
A trend brought up at the meeting was the ever increasing amount of prescription narcotics (primarily Oxycontin) that are making it into the drug using community in Vermont. No longer is it just heroin that causes concern. The modern addict may be grinding up Oxycontin or Dilaudid as an alternative. All of these would be addressed in a new facility.
