California Offers Cash Incentives to People Who Quit Cocaine and Meth
An unusual anti-drug program is underway in California, where people who stop using methamphetamine and cocaine are paid cash rewards. The initiative aims to help residents struggling with addiction to these stimulants by offering financial incentives for staying clean.
Participants Can Earn Up to $599 in Six Months
The program is open to California residents addicted to cocaine and methamphetamine. Participants are asked to abstain from using stimulants and confirm their sobriety through urine tests. For the first 12 weeks after enrolling, volunteers visit a coordinator twice a week for drug testing. During the next 12 weeks, they come in once a week for testing. After this 24-week period, participants can access support services for former drug users for another six months.
One participant, 56-year-old Quinn Coburn, who has served five prison sentences for selling marijuana, meth, and heroin, shared his experience. According to Coburn, each negative drug test earns between $10 and $26.50. Over 20 weeks, he earned $521.50. The program’s organizers say that participants can receive up to $599 over six months.
Cash Rewards Motivate Participants to Stay Clean
Quinn Coburn praised the program’s effectiveness, saying it helped him quit meth and avoid returning to prison. He noted that even a relatively small amount of money by U.S. standards motivates him to take the process seriously and avoid relapse.
California Allocates $61 Million to Expand the Program
John Duff, head of the Common Goals addiction recovery center, reported that the program is very popular among stimulant users. Since registration opened in April 2023, about 2,700 people from 19 California counties have participated.
Duff explained why the initiative works: “Stimulants affect the brain differently than opioids and alcohol. For meth users, the brain’s reward system is overactive, so the chance to earn $10 or $20 is more appealing than sitting through a group therapy session.”
California officials are pleased with the program’s results and plan to allocate $61 million for its operation during the upcoming fiscal year, from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. Authorities decided to offer financial incentives because stimulant addiction is particularly difficult to overcome. Statistics show that only 37% of people addicted to meth and cocaine manage to quit.