Policy Proposals to Reduce Stimulant-related Harm: How to Address the Fourth Wave of the Overdose Crisis

Few policies specifically address stimulant-related harms, even though stimulants are among the most widely consumed psychoactive drugs in the United States and are playing a growing role in the overdose crisis. 

This paper presents common motivations for stimulant use, the most noteworthy harms associated with stimulant use, and the ways in which various public policies can be tailored to address both. Policy proposals to reduce stimulant-related harms should:

• Address social determinants of health that can exacerbate stimulant-related harms
• Increase access to health services (including harm reduction and treatment)
• Reduce contact between marginalized people who use stimulants and law enforcement