Council to Eye 'Pill Mill' Moratorium

The city of Cartersville is following suit of many communities in the nation and gearing up to examine pain clinics and their effects on communities.

Leaders are set to consider a 1-year moratorium that would stop new pain management clinics from setting up shop in Cartersville.

In the proposed resolution, leaders cite the growing problem of prescription drug abuse and say the is recommending pain clinics be denied business licenses in Cartersville for 12 months.

That would allow police time to make further recommendations and city leaders time to put in place the appropriate safeguards and controls on businesses and doctors who prescribe highly addictive medicines.

The resolution is intended to place a moratorium on the issuance of business licenses to pain management clinics operating as "pill mills," the resolution states. The most prevalent "pill mills" are those pain clinics that both prescribe and dispense narcotic medications.

Also on the council's agenda are the second reading of an ordinance that would ban parking on Postelle Street, two rezoning requests, and several contracts and purchases. The full agenda is attached to this article, including more information on the moratorium.