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New Bill To Offer Financial Rewards To Meth Users For Staying Sober

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A new California bill would pay meth addicts for staying sober.

State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) introduced SB 888 on Tuesday in response to the increase in meth usage and overdose deaths in California.

The bill would expand treatment options that qualify for Medi-Cal to include programs that use vouchers or cash to motivate meth users to stay sober.

READ: California Lawmaker Introduces Bill That Would Allow Human Body Composting

Meth use has spiked all over California and in San Francisco, where use is up 500 percent since 2008.

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation's Positive Reinforcement Opportunity Project enlisted a similar program, giving LGBTQ men who used meth gift cards for staying sober. According to the foundation, the program proved to be highly effective leading to 63% of participants quitting completely and 19% reducing their use over one year.

In a press release, Senator Wiener said the bill "intends to make these programs accessible on a wider scale by authorizing them to be reimbursable by Medi-Cal."

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