What are policies to help people who use methamphetamine (meth) to be safer?

There are many drug policies we can pass at the local, state, and federal level to help people who use methamphetamine to be safer.

1. Decriminalize drug equipment,
2. Authorize overdose prevention centers (OPC) on the state and local level,
3. Increase access to Contingency Management and other treatment,
4. Decriminalize drug possession,
5. Improve drug checking, surveillance and data collection and make them more widely accessible,
6. Explore regulatory models,
7. Fund more stimulant research to explore treatment options including medications.

Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) recommends a comprehensive, health-based response to the overdose crisis to keep people safe and healthy. There is growing public acceptance of the fact that drug use is a health issue, not a criminal one.

Unfortunately, some elected officials and members of law enforcement continue to call for draconian criminal policies to drive up support for policies that hurt people instead of helping them.

When it comes to methamphetamine, we must ensure that any new laws take a health approach. This includes decriminalizing drugs, creating a safer supply, and promoting harm reduction such as overdose prevention centers.

Reviewed and updated by Jules Netherland, PhD, and Dr. Sheila P. Vakharia on 05/26/2023.