Methadone daily doses and lockbox. Credit: Getty Images.
Many people in recovery rely on access to methadone, the gold standard for treating opioid use disorder. But where should they go to get it?
In Albany County, Camino Nuevo has been the primary answer for the better part of 10 years. The clinic on Albany’s Central Avenue administers the medical treatment, which eases the symptoms of opioid withdrawal. But the clinic has been blamed for increased crime nearby, city officials have said that its location in a dense residential neighborhood makes it difficult to enforce laws against loitering and trespassing, and cars dropping off and picking up patients on a busy street can cause traffic snarls.
A plan to move Camino Nuevo west, to a more spacious location with a parking lot, has met strong resistance from businesses that don’t want to be its neighbors – including, earlier this month, a lawsuit against the city planning board, which had given the move its unanimous approval. Businesses in the Pine West Plaza, off Washington Avenue Extension, don’t want loitering, trespassing or other crimes up near them,........