ATTC Messenger July 2025

Cocaine & Meth addiction treatment now critical amid rising overdose deaths

July 2025 | ATTCnetwork.org

Escalating Stimulant Involvement in Overdose Deaths Makes Effective Treatment for Methamphetamine & Cocaine Addiction an Urgent Priority

By Richard A. Rawson, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles/University of Vermont, on behalf of ATTC Network Contingency Management & Stimulants POWER Team

In the past five years, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other sources have documented the rapidly increasing involvement of cocaine or methamphetamine in fatal overdoses/drug poisonings. For many individuals with stimulant use disorders (StimUD), their purchase and use of stimulants puts them in at a very high risk for overdose, especially with fentanyl now common in the street supply. As policymakers have become aware of the role of stimulant use and overdose risk, there is increasing interest in effective treatment for those with cocaine and methamphetamine use disorders.

In 2024, the American Society of Addiction Medicine and American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry published a set of guidelines for the treatment of StimUD. In this rigorous review of the evidence, the authors concluded, “Contingency management (CM) has demonstrated the best effectiveness in the treatment of StimUDs compared to any other intervention studied and represents the current standard of care” (ASAM& AAAP, 2024, p.3).

This review—and numerous meta-analyses and systematic reviews—all come to the same conclusion: Effective treatment for individuals addicted to cocaine and methamphetamine requires contingency management to be a central element of the effort.

The ATTC Network is funded by SAMHSA and the author’s opinions do not necessarily represent the opinions of SAMHSA or the ATTC. We respectfully offer this article to encourage healthy discussion to advance our field.

Aging and Addiction: Clinical Strategies for Supporting Older Adults with OUD and SUDs - New webinar from PCSS-MOUD

Join PCSS-MOUD for this webinar, co-hosted by NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. ET, Wednesday, July 30.

Recent attention has turned to opioid use disorder (OUD) and other substance use disorders (SUDs) as significant and growing health concerns among older adults. Biopsychosocial complications that develop with age, including medical comorbidities and cognitive impairments, contribute to some of the adverse interactions between substance misuse and the aging brain. This webinar will focus on how professionals can effectively work at the intersection of aging, mental health, and substance use, with a specific emphasis on opioid use disorder. Participants will learn practical strategies for assessing, diagnosing, treating, and supporting older clients with OUD or other SUDs, and will be empowered to offer compassionate, evidence-informed, and age-responsive care.

Participants in this webinar will be able to identify three unique considerations for older adults related to opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders, mental health, and physiological aging.
Participants will be able to describe two barriers to accessing the care that is needed at the intersection of substance use and the aging brain.
Participants will be able to discuss three compassionate, evidence-informed interventions to support older clients in navigating OUD/SUD and achieving recovery.

Education is FREE to all professionals. If you would like to claim a CE Certificate, please note: You will be prompted to pay $25 and will have access to the CE quiz. A score of 80% or higher is required to pass the quiz and access your certificate.
A no-CE certificate is also available.

Advisory: Expanding Access to Methadone Treatment in Hospital Settings

This Advisory provides comprehensive information for hospitals and associated healthcare facilities on best practices and recommendations for implementing and expanding treatment of opioid use disorder with methadone in these settings.

Released June 2025.

State Reports, Underage Drinking Prevention and Enforcement 2024

The STOP Act requires an annual report on each State's performance in enacting, enforcing, and creating laws, regulations, and programs to prevent or reduce underage drinking. This report primarily includes data from calendar year 2022 and 2023. Regional and state profile data were drawn from the most recently available federal survey data as of 2022. State legal data reflect the status of the law as of January 1, 2023. State survey data, collected in 2023, were drawn from the most recent 12-month period in which the states maintained the data.

Released March 2025

Treatment for Substance Use Disorders in Older Adults

Even though more people recognize the need for older adult-focused addiction treatment, most clinics haven’t yet made that shift. This study highlights the key challenges, like lack of staff training, limited medical services, and insurance barriers, that need to be addressed.

SAMHSA Resources Spotlight

Addiction Science Made Easy