Psychostimulant Drug Use in Rural Areas Amidst the Opioid Epidemic

Use of psychostimulants (substances that excite the central nervous system) has increased dramatically in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet in rural areas, harm reduction and treatment programs that focus on psychostimulant use are scarce despite pressing need for such services, especially services for people who use methamphetamines. This News Brief defines psychostimulants, explains motivations for use and harms they can cause, and describes the impact of COVID-19 on psychostimulant use. A companion document describes the need for services for psychostimulant use and the types of harm reduction and treatment services that are needed.