California Expands Program That Pays People to Stop Using Drugs

KQED's Forum

KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

🗓️ 5 September 2023

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

California is the first state in the country to use federal funding for a controversial approach to reducing drug addiction: paying people to stop using. The state has been testing the strategy, known as the recovery incentives program, in San Francisco and a few other counties, for two years and is now rolling it out more broadly.The program specifically targets people who abuse meth and cocaine at a time when stimulant addictions and fatalities have skyrocketed. We’ll talk about how the program is working and discuss the ethical considerations for policymakers, taxpayers and drug users. Guests: Héctor Hernández-Delgado, staff attorney, National Health Law Program Nicholas King, associate professor in the Biomedical Ethics Unit, McGill University Brad Shapiro, professor of Psychiatry, UCSF School of Medicine Jaramiah Fitts, participant in the recovery incentives program, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	Support for Kikiwedi Podcasts comes from Rancho LaPuerta, boated the number one wellness resort and spa by readers of travel and leisure magazine. In August, three or four people sharing a cassida enjoy special vacation packages. Rancho LaPuerta.com
0:15.6	Support for Forum comes from Broadway SF, presenting Parade, the musical revival based on a true story.
0:23.0	From three-time Tony-winning composer Jason Robert Brown comes the story of Leo and Lucille Frank,
0:29.6	a newlywed Jewish couple struggling to make a life in Georgia. When Leo is accused of an
0:35.3	unspeakable crime, it propels them into an unimaginable test of faith, humanity, justice, and devotion.
0:43.3	The riveting and gloriously hopeful parade plays the Orphium Theater for three weeks only, May 20th through June 8th.
0:51.7	Tickets on sale now at Broadwaysf.com.
0:56.6	From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Alexis Madrigal.
1:13.6	The state of California is in the midst of expanding a pilot program to reduce drug addiction
1:18.6	that has a simple premise, pay people to stop using stimulants like men.
1:24.6	Over the years, a couple dozen studies have shown that different variations
1:28.3	of giving people gift cards not to use drugs simply works. But many people feel a little
1:34.1	squeamish about the idea of paying others not to do something they find immoral or improper.
1:40.3	We'll dive into the effectiveness and ethical considerations of the program, which has been
1:45.8	piloted in San Francisco at a time when stimulant use and drug-related deaths have skyrocketed.
1:52.0	That's all coming up next after this news.
2:00.2	Welcome to Forum. I'm Alexis Madrigal. California has begun testing paying people to stop using meth and other stimulants, including here in San Francisco.
2:11.6	It's the first state to use federal dollars for the purpose, and the program will expand to 20-some other counties.
2:18.3	So we're going to get a look this morning at how the program works and why public health
2:21.3	advocates think it's effective. We're joined first this morning by Brad Shapiro, who's a
2:27.3	professor at UCSF School of Medicine and the Medical Director for the Opiate Treatment Outpatient
2:32.3	Program at San Francisco General.
	...

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