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Grantee Onboarding Packet for Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Psychostimulant Support Grantees

Posted 10/27/2021 (updated 12/20/2023)

Overdose deaths involving psychostimulants are increasing across rural America. Psychostimulants (also called stimulants or uppers) are substances that excite the central nervous system. The brain chemicals dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine become more active, resulting in increased feelings of reward; higher blood pressure, heart rate, and blood glucose levels; and faster breathing. Some psychostimulants are legal to use for mild effects, for example, the caffeine in coffee and the nicotine in tobacco products. Other psychostimulants are legal to prescribe as medicines, as when amphetamines, methylphenidate, or dextroamphetamine are prescribed to treat attention deficit disorder, depression, and other health conditions. Psychostimulant medications are sometimes used as prescribed, but they are sometimes not used as prescribed for nonmedical purposes (e.g., driving long distance, finishing a project, experiencing euphoria, dealing with dependence, etc.)