SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A potential new California bill could be a last-ditch effort to curb the state’s growing methamphetamine problem, offering addicts vouchers or cash incentives to stop using.
Senate Bill 888 would expand treatment options that qualify for Medi-Cal to include programs that use vouchers or cash to motivate meth users to stay sober.
Mark Myers understands the risk with such a proposition. He started using drugs when he was 9 years old and spent 30 years struggling with addiction.
“My life had been crazy for a long time, in and out of jail, unemployable,” Myers said. “I was an absent father.”
Myers knows what it’s like to lose everything while struggling with addiction, and so does Cyndi Giddings. Giddings said she used meth for 26 years.
“I lost my job, I lost my children,” Giddings said. “I started using at the age of 13.”
So when asked if a cash incentive would’ve helped, they both shared different perspectives and answers.
“It would have (helped),” Myers said. “I had nothing else, you know?”
Giddings said, “It wouldn’t have worked for me where I was at in my life because I was homeless living in bushes. Giving me a little bit of money? It took removing me from my situation and placing me in residential treatment.” More at CBSSacramento.
h/t Cavronavirus
Maybe its just me, but I’m thinking the meth heads will just spend the money on meth…or at least I hope so.
If the UK’s NHS were trying to curb a growing meth problem, they’d simply provide all the meth the addicts ask for, packaged in convenient, easy-to-use LD50 doses.
You have to be an honors graduate of stupid school to suggest guess that.
I’m addicted to Rolex watches and eighteen year old hookers who say they are former cheerleaders and the former cheerleaders are ruining my health – when do I get mines
“It Won’t A̶l̶w̶a̶y̶s̶ Work”
FIFY
“It would have helped” – me to do more drugs. There is a reason why addicts have to bottom out or die before they change and giving them safe injection sites and cash is only going to prolong their bottom. Not compassionate or helpful at all.
Better, cheaper solution.
“We, the state, will provide all the meth you could ever want. BUT………if you go into OD, Yer On Yer Own. We, the state, will not provide NarCan to save yer sorry ass. If you want to be saved, you’d better save some money on your own. (Catch 22?) If you die of Meth OD, what we, the state, will do, is either return your cold corpse to your family for burial. If that doesn’t work, we, the state, will cremate your body and scatter the ashes off the Pacific coast to feed the fishes. Aren’t we, the state, generous?”
Think of the savings: less welfare, less drug use and abuse, less homeless, less cleanup……..you get the picture.
SWEET !!!! I can supplement my Social Security. And, it’s Kalifornia !! Never drug test you and prolly pays better than my SS…
obviously there is never any problem that throwing tax payer money at will not solve!
How ’bout, it won’t NEVER work. 🙄
Hey everybody! Guess how my sweet and luscious Petey B spells “addict?”
A DICK!
Maybe an island with all the drugs, rice, beans and water they need. Then call us when you are clean for a year to be picked up.
Good luck. PS, you get a I survived t-shirt if you make it.
Toenex- Your idea was just stolen and ready to be put to use on the Discovery Channel. lol
Will they pay me to not start?
Give addicts money.
I’m sure there’s a reason this treatment method isn’t taught in medical school.
Maybe because money is dirty?
I dunno’….. this is a real stumper.
All they have to do to stop using is shove a potato up their butt.
Just how stupid are these people? Or are they not stupid at all, but counting on US being stupid enough to let them continue leading.