Communities place high value on their neighborhoods and keeping them as safe as possible. All reasonable people share this common goal. Ironically, when it comes to increasing neighborhood safety, people often hold a misguided opinion about methadone clinics and their effect on the community.

Area residents wrongly assume that methadone clinics will invite crime or attract unsavory characters into their neighborhood. This is actually not true. What most people do not realize is that addiction & opioid abuse are already occurring in every community across the country. It goes on "under the radar", in the privacy of homes, and often not out in broad daylight.

What a methadone clinic represents is a local solution to addiction problems, a reduction in crime, and a positive impact on the community. To understand the value of methadone clinics, one should gain a true understanding of methadone clients. They are regular, everyday people with all the same concerns: work, family, maintaining a household, and also having a safe community.



Most major metropolitan cities already have numerous methadone clinics in operation. These clinics are utilized by productive, working members of the local community. Receiving methadone enables these individuals to live normal lives. They too have an investment in keeping their community safe from illegal drugs.

But isn't methadone just substituting one drug for another? No, it is not. It is important to understand that methadone clients do not get high on the medication. It actually allows them to feel normal, think clearly, and stop using illicit substances. Methadone allows people to get back to responsible daily living. 

This video illustrates just how well methadone clinics blend into the background of a community. In the video, researchers interviewed local businesses & residents to see if they knew that a methadone clinic was in operation in the neighborhood. Most everyone interviewed had no idea that a clinic was just across the street, and had been in operation since 1973. The clinic was so well run, and its clients so normal, that the community had not even taken notice. This is the reality of having a methadone clinic nearby. No muggings or sensationalized TV drama, just a medical service being provided to people who are turning their lives around. One should remember that clients who have accessed methadone treatment are people who want a stable life and who have chosen a responsible solution. Methadone is the most effective opioid addiction treatment available.


Methadone clinics have a vested interest in being well received. And their clients have a vested interest in seeing the clinic be available to them as they continue their recoveries. Having a methadone clinic in the community ensures that people have access to treatment and a new life without drugs. Make no mistake, opioid abuse is in large cities. It is also in rural America. This is actually where the greatest increase in methadone clinics is occurring. New methadone clinic openings are being driven by the obvious need that's emerging in the rural areas. It is a much better option to give those who want a better life the means to achieve it. Otherwise, many will remain in active addiction. Recovery and methadone promote responsible, law-abiding behavior. Active addiction, no matter where it is, brings desperation and a host of community problems.The best solution, in the final analysis, is to support methadone treatment in one's local community. Support people in living a drug-free, responsible life. And the community will benefit.

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