Drug addiction is a well known problem across America, and small towns like Conway are not immune.
But area residents were shocked last month when they learned that a private, for-profit company wants to open a methadone clinic in town to treat people addicted to opiates.
It isn't heroin use that's driving the reported demand - it's the growing problem of prescription drug abuse.
NHPR correspondent Richelle Elberg reports from Conway.
The Community Substance Abuse Centers of Westfield, Massachusetts, wants to establish a methadone clinic in the Mount Washington Valley.
They’ve already got clinics in Hudson, Newington and Somersworth.
Bob Potter is the company’s vice president of development.
“What brought us to Conway was a number of patients coming down to our Somersworth clinic on a daily basis that said that they had friends and neighbors that were also addicted to opiates that didn’t have the wherewithal to make the trip seven days a week.” [bobpotter1]
So Potter says he contacted Pete Grasso with the New Hampshire Board of Pharmacy.
“I said I’m thinking about going north and he said go as far north as you can, cuz there’s a problem all the way up the Spaulding into the mountains.” [pete grasso]
Potter also says he met with local police officers three months ago.
Ed Wagner is Conway’s Chief of Police.
“We definitely have a drug problem in Conway and the Mount Washington Valley. There is a huge marijuana problem; a big cocaine problem and an astronomical pharmaceutical problem.”
Wagner was speaking at a recent public hearing about the clinic.
Town officials convened the meeting because they’d been hearing from residents stunned that such a center was needed… or would be established… in Conway.
At the hearing, some locals spoke of a fear that the clinic will bring in drug addicts and more traffic problems.
They worry that an undesirable element will settle in town resulting in increased crime and even lower property values.
Patricia Sell:
It’s a legalized drug dealer type facility. It’s a substitute drug addiction , but it’s going to have an adverse impact on our community and that would be permanent.
The Substance Abuse Center’s Bob Potter emphasized that his clinics have not become problem spots with drug dealers hanging out in the parking lot.
And, Chief Wagner confirmed that in the three other New Hampshire towns where the company operates, the police have not had problems.
The real problem many area health professionals stressed is that of drug addiction—in particular, the growing trend of prescription drug addiction.
In just the past four months four Conway area kids have died from drug overdoses..
Conway resident Dennis Riley has himself suffered from alcoholism and drug addiction.
He says the town needs help.
“We have a tremendous oxycotin problem; vicadin, the kids are taking it right out of their parents’ shelves…we’ve lost four kids. Something has to be done.” 7.3 seconds[oxycontin]
And Riley adds, there’s no place to go in Conway if someone’s got a problem.
“If an addict walks in to Memorial Hospital this afternoon, unless he has a medical issue like a broken leg, there’s nothing that hospital can do for him” 8.4 seconds [dennis riley no help here 3]
And Bob Potter with the Community Substance Abuse Center says something needs to be done, because addition can happen quickly.
“I can’t tell you the number of people that I talked to over the years that said I took an oxycontin on a Saturday night and I felt great right into Sunday and I didn’t take one until the next Saturday, and now I’m taking them every day, and now I’m taking four a day, and now I can’t afford it. [bobpotter2]
If the town lets him go forward Potter believes he’ll have at least 150 clients within the first three years of operation.
But getting the okay from town officials is going to be a tough sell.
One resident threatened to take legal action to stop them.
And Conway Selectman, and former State Representative, Crow Dickinson was applauded when he asked Potter, “What do we have to do to convince you to go elsewhere?”
For NHPR News, I’m Richelle Elberg, in Conway.
