Proposed Springdale Methadone Clinic Causes Concern

The state`s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Office has approved plans for a springdale methadone clinic. However, some Northwest Arkansas substance abuse specialists are wondering why its even needed. The Metro Springdale Treatment Center already has a location at 702 S. Thompson. The facility would represent the first methadone clinic in Northwest Arkansas. Methadone treatments have been utilized by doctors for over 30 years, helping suppress addictions to narcotics such as heroin, morphin, and oxycontin. Supporters of the drug say it cuts down on cravings and allows addicts to gradually withdraw from a destructive lifestyle. But some specialists, like Dr. Tom Atkinson, say a methadone clinic isn`t such a good fit in Northwest Arkansas. Atkinson: "I don`t see that much in my practice, that much heroin or even oxycontin abuse that we would need methadone." Atkinson is the Medical Director for Decision Point Substance Abuse Centers in Springdale and Bentonville. Atkinson: "Once you commit a patient to methadone treatment you pretty much hook them on another drug." The Metro Treatment Center expects to treat 300 patients. But Atkinson says there aren`t that many addicts living in the area. Although the Metro Center would be private, it still needs approval from the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.