ADDICTS HAVE SEVERAL OPTIONS FOR GETTING HELP

WASHINGTON - Much of the treatment for meth addiction is still in the
formative stages, but addicts have several options for getting help.

Users who are insured should consult their family doctors, said Allison
Colker, a senior policy specialist for the National Conference of State
Legislatures.

Most states require private insurance companies to pay for some substance
abuse treatment, but policies vary widely in terms of the type and length
of treatment covered, according to the conference.

Meth users who aren't covered by insurance may seek help through Medicaid,
the federal health insurance program for the poor. Medicaid also covers
substance abuse treatment for children under 19 if it is "medically
necessary," according to Mary Kahn, a spokeswoman for the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Medicaid provides more limited treatment options for adults.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration has a toll-free number, which is
(800) 662-HELP, for people with or without insurance who are seeking
referrals to local substance abuse treatment programs.

Visit www.samhsa.gov/treatment/treatment_public_i.aspx for a searchable
directory of drug and alcohol treatment programs nationwide.

Many meth abusers who have been arrested and charged with meth-related
crimes get treatment through one of hundreds of drug courts across the
country. The courts offer drug-addicted defendants treatment as an
alternative to incarceration, according to the National Institute on Drug
Abuse, or NIDA.

Joe Ledl, a state probation officer in southwest Missouri, said drug courts
allow addicts to get treatment using the resources of judges, lawyers, law
enforcement and recovery experts in a nonconfrontational setting.

"In the drug court setting, these groups can be combined, rather than
divided, into a cohesive unit able to maximize the participant's
opportunity to address his methamphetamine addiction," Ledl said.

Researchers have not yet developed medications to treat methamphetamine
addiction, but NIDA is working to develop such medications.

NIDA also has invested in behavioral treatments for meth addiction. Dr.
Nora Volkow, NIDA's director, told a Senate subcommittee in April that a
16-week treatment program known as the Matrix Model has been used
successfully to treat meth addiction. The model originated in response to
the cocaine epidemic of the 1980s.