California Governor Supports Proposal to Pay Drug Addicts
California lawmakers are considering a radical proposal to fight drug addiction – they want to pay people to keep them sober.
As outlined in a bill introduced by California State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), the “contingency management” program offers cash payments for negative drugs tests. Participants receive money through gift cards and have the opportunity to earn a few hundred dollars if they complete the program without any positive tests.
“I think there is a lot in this strategy for everyone to like,” says Wiener. “Most important of all, it works.”
Whether or not the strategy works is up for debate. Addiction is an extremely motivating force and I don’t doubt that some participants will stick it out just long enough to earn the money they need to buy drugs. Research suggests many participants will relapse within six months of completing the program.
The state of California has a long and sordid history with drug addiction and rates have continued to rise despite billions of dollars invested in “harm reduction” strategies. Illicit drug use is particularly severe in San Francisco, where addicts outnumber high school students by more than 50%.
Not surprisingly, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) supports Wiener’s proposal and has already asked the Biden Administration for permission to use taxpayer dollars through Medicaid to pay for it. The Biden Administration is likely to support the measure even though California law prohibits residents from profiting off drug treatment programs.
It is unclear how much money the program would cost. As reported by NPR, a program with 1,000 participants could cost up to $286,000. This is a low estimate considering the state’s enormous homeless population (161,000 before the pandemic) and Medicaid enrollment (14 million), to say nothing of fraud.
Nonetheless, the proposal cleared the California Senate with no opposition and is awaiting review in the Assembly.
Author’s Note: Another stupid decision from California. Don’t they know by now that you can’t just throw money at something to make it go away?
Sources:
California Wants to Become the First State to Pay People with Addiction to Stay Sober
Why Drug Addicts Outnumber High School Students in San Francisco
Ya figure they’ll pay and WHITE ones?
No, this is not a “black or white” ordeal, BUT it is as ignorant as your statement !!!
Indeed very stupid. Reward people for being productive. Find jobs for people. Train people to be productive.
That’s because people have to be stoned to vote for commiecrats.
And another formulaic column by Alice, ending with another “author’s note” that is just plain stupid.
If a program costs 286,000 for 1000 participants, that’s $286 per person. How much does it cost to throw them in jail? What are the public health ramifications of leaving them out on the street? Paying for shelters would eat up $286 pretty quickly too. If you can get 10% of them sober, how much does that add to the state’s economy? Such a nice cop there calmly talking to that young white man – but what if he were black? Would he get beaten up, or attacked and killed by 10 policemen? A single lawsuit for wrongful death would cost the state much more than $286,000.
And why up the size of the states “enormous” populations of homeless and Medicare recipients along with the size estimate of an addict program? Are you implying that the homeless and Medicare recipients (!) will become drug addicts?
Just how would you propose that they deal with drug addiction? Forcibly dry them out? Ship them to another state (or country)? Trying anything is better than nothing, and $286K is not even small change in a state with 60M people.
Mr. Bruder go find some brain cells it’s folks like you make stupid look even more stupid.
60 million with most of them commies. A great place for an earthquake
WHY do you still have the stupid Gov. still in office , get rid of him.