An unconventional treatment for meth addicts gift card payments takes off in the Bay Area
Briefly

In the Bay Area, a novel experiment in drug treatment offers gift cards to methamphetamine users as an incentive for sobriety. This initiative, part of a statewide pilot, has engaged around 300 users across four counties, rewarding them a total of $23,500 for consistent drug test results. The program, which underscores the importance of reward-based strategies backed by scientific research, aims to improve recovery rates amid high relapse challenges associated with meth addiction. Passed unanimously by the California Legislature in 2021, this approach may redefine recovery methods for stimulant users.
The idea, though it may seem controversial to some, is rooted in decades of scientific research showing that rewards and encouragement help stimulant users enter recovery more effectively than conventional treatments alone.
The program rewards methamphetamine users with gift cards for passing drug tests, incentivizing recovery in a unique approach backed by recent legislation.
About 300 users of meth and other stimulants have participated so far and received a combined $23,500 for passing regularly scheduled drug tests.
Relapse rates for treating meth addictions are notoriously high; however, offering cash and prizes represents a demonstrated approach with lasting benefits.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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