METHADONE GUIDELINES REVIEWED

A council committee is recommending the city hold off on creating new
rules dealing with methadone clinics so it can evaluate the impact of
new guidelines created by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of
Alberta to govern this addiction treatment.

The CPSA is poised to implement standards for methadone beginning
next year, including guidelines on the frequency of clinical visits
by patients.

Ald. Madeleine King, who last summer called for controls on methadone
clinics after hearing complaints of increased drug use around private
treatment centres in Ward 8, says the committee made the right decision.

"We will continue to be in conversation with the (CSPA) and we'll
also hear through the police how the system is working and if there
are times in places where it's not working for neighbours . . . we'll
work it through with the particular clinic," she said.

But Ald. Ric McIver said the city should still enact a bylaw that
would give city council the power to keep them out of residential areas.

McIver said under current bylaws, a methadone clinic can be
considered just part of a medical clinic.

"Any place there's a medical clinic, a methadone clinic could be
added and there's no mechanism under the land-use bylaw now to stop
that," he said.

There are two specialized methadone clinics in Calgary, both in the core.