Pols to Meth Clinic: Shape Up or Ship Out
Faced with a growing frustration among Clinton Hill residents over a host of quality of life issues associated with the methadone clinic at Waverly and Fulton, Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries and Councilmember Letitia James held a sit-down recently with several officials from the state agency that oversees such operations and established a task force to try…
Faced with a growing frustration among Clinton Hill residents over a host of quality of life issues associated with the methadone clinic at Waverly and Fulton, Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries and Councilmember Letitia James held a sit-down recently with several officials from the state agency that oversees such operations and established a task force to try to remedy the problems. Of particular concern was the combination of loitering, peripheral drug trade and aggressive behavior of clinic visitors and their hangers-on. The high concentration of such clinics in the immediate vicinity was also discussed. (The three clinics above service roughly 1/3 of methadone patients in Brooklyn.) According to Councilmember James, the people running the Fulton clinic have been extremely unresponsive to her overtures about addressing the problems, which are impacting not only the residential character of the neighborhood but the ability to revitalize an entire stretch of retail along Fulton Street. “Assembly Member Jeffries and I are hopeful this taskforce will serve as the proper vehicle to address issues that could threaten the commercial viability and success of Fulton Street,” Councilmember James said. “If matters persist, then I will renew my call for consolidation, downsizing and/or closure.” A community-wide meeting is being planned for late January. More details to come.
I am not a heroin addict or anything like that, but methadone gets you pretty darn high, and I would like to inquire as to how I can go and jsut get some free methadone.
Anyone know if you can just roll up and grab a fix?
The problem with clinics is that they are needed, but they can’t easily find space. When they have a location, they are not going to move to suit their clientele unless they are forced out by their landlord. If they pay their rent, the landlord won’t force them out. If they own the space outright, they aren’t going to move. Hovever, if they were another kind of business, the neighbohood residents could ‘vote’ for their presence by shopping or not shopping there, and effectively force them out by not buying their goods.
Put the clinics at hospitals or next to police stations where the goings on directly outside will be better regulated. Anyone paying over a million for a house should have every right to not want a clinic in their neighborhood (if they aren’t themsleves a client).
“Do you think rich heroin addicts get treated at meth clinics? Of course not. So, it’s a question of priorities. What’s more important, money, or these addicts?”
The question isn’t one of $ or these addicts. It’s why would you keep a clinic in a place were none of the residents need it? You’re right in saying that ‘rich’ people or those with insurance don’t get off smack by using methadone. Methadone is a crap solution. Get the clinic out of the neighborhood because the neighborhood, according to you, doesn’t use it.
Open it or some other service in the area where the junkies actually live. Make it legal or not, but don’t put it where the residents don’t need it and don’t want the crap coming with it.
2:42 speaks the true intent of the Clinton Hill People, not Lothar and his phony claims to help people. The community wants the addicts out of there to help their property values.
Just admit it, CH. You’re making fools of yourselves pretending otherwise, with all these little arguments about the nature of addiction.
12:03 laws are not a replacement for your lack of self control.
This Methadone clinic’s days are numbered. With the new charter school opening on Waverly Between Fulton and Atlantic, there’s no way any sane person would allow a methadone clinic across the street from a school full of kids
12:03 – again you are making the faulty assumtion that decrimilization would make people more likely to use them.
Drugs being illegal has nothing to do with you not knowing where to get them – It has everything to do with you not being interested in getting them because you know they are bad for you and you find them morally repulsive.
But dont think for a minute that you couldnt walk out of your door and find any drug you wanted within 15 minutes – If that is what you really wanted.
Also – Being legal and being decriminilized are 2 different things. No, you will not walk into your neighborhood bar and order up some heroin, and the same number of people that want to try them will. Those that dont will not, period. A recent study found that 50-60% of high school seniors have tried some drugs at least once. You think these people found it that hard because it is illegal. Do you think that the other 50% didnt because they didnt know where to find them?
If people open their eyes and start thinking logically instead of buying into the political crap and scare tatics thrown at them everyday, they would agree the war on drugs is the biggest most expensive failure in the history of the U.S.
One cannot have methadone clinics based in the same neighborhood as prominent real estate blogs! It is time for the addicts to move on!
12:03 PM: Bed Stuy is one of the most crack infested areas in the city. If you TRULY wanted crack, and lived anywhere in the area, you could simply ask around until you found someone willing to sell it to you.