Baltimore pastor to open methadone clinic in July

BALTIMORE - A Baltimore pastor says he plans to open the city's first "open access" clinic that will hand out methadone to drug addicts.

The Rev. Milton Williams said Thursday that he will open his Turning Point clinic on July 5 -- even without approval from state and federal regulators. Williams says the clinic will hand out methadone within 15 minutes to any addict who walks through the door. He also says it's possible the clinic could treat 100 to 150 addicts a night.

The director of the Maryland Alcohol Drug Abuse Administration tells The Baltimore Sun that Williams has only made a proposal to the state medical director. He adds that the state has been working to increase treatment slots across Maryland even though funding has been cut over the years.
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Information from: The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com

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