Citizens in Support of a Methadone Treatment Clinic in Johnson City, Tennessee

Eastern Tennessee probably has more untreated opioids addicts per acre than anywhere else in the nation. Tennessee has the 13th highest opioid overdose deaths per capita, compared to all other states, and is ranked number two in the kilogram of opioids prescribed per capita (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6043a4.htm?s_cid=mm6043a4_w).

We, the undersigned American and world citizens, support the approval and opening of a medication assisted/methadone maintenance treatment center/clinic in Johnson City, Tennessee forthwith because...

-The treatment of opioid addiction with methadone is one of the most strongly evidence-based medical treatments in all of medicine.
-There are over 40 years of studies that show the treatment of opioid addiction with methadone reduces overdose death rates and suicide rates.
-Methadone treatment improves employment rates and dramatically reduces crime rates.
-Addicted people treated with methadone have improved physical and mental health.
-For each dollar spent on methadone treatment, taxpayers save four dollars, mostly in reduced incarceration costs.
-Methadone treatment of opioid addiction significantly reduces the incidence of HIV and HCV in intravenous opioid addicts.

We strongly encourage Tennessee state, Washington County & Johnson City officials to act on this chance to save lives and put aside personal biases and look at the science supporting medication assisted treatments. It's the right thing to do.