Quick answer
Boyd County recorded 34 overdose deaths in 2024 at 64.2 per 100,000 - twice the state rate - and had the third-highest count of methamphetamine-involved deaths in Kentucky. There is no FDA-approved medication for meth, but behavioral treatment works. Pathways runs care in Ashland. Here is how to start.
Boyd County carries one of the heaviest overdose burdens in Kentucky, and methamphetamine is a big part of it. Unlike opioids, meth has no replacement medication — but it does have treatment that works, and Ashland has a provider that delivers it. If you are trying to stop, the first step is smaller than it feels.
What Boyd County's numbers show
The Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy's 2024 report counts 34 Boyd County overdose deaths in 2024, an age-adjusted rate of 64.2 per 100,000 — about twice Kentucky's statewide rate of 32.0. Methamphetamine was identified in 20 of those deaths, the third-highest county count in the state, behind Jefferson (169) and Fayette (38).
Statewide, methamphetamine was identified through toxicology in 716 overdose deaths in 2024 — 50.8% of the total, and it appeared alongside fentanyl in 509 deaths. In Boyd County, fentanyl was involved in 22 deaths.
What treatment for meth actually looks like
The National Institute on Drug Abuse confirms there is no FDA-approved medication for methamphetamine use disorder, but behavioral treatments work.
- Contingency management — concrete rewards (vouchers, prizes, or gift cards) for verified drug-free tests. This is the strongest-evidence approach for stimulant use disorder.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy — recognizing the people, places, and feelings that lead back to use, and building a plan for each.
- Structured outpatient or residential programs — a steady schedule, groups, and case management to replace the structure meth took away.
Ask each program directly: do you offer contingency management for stimulant use, and how soon can I be assessed?
Where to get care in Ashland
Pathways Inc. is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic serving Boyd County, with addiction treatment for adults and adolescents, medication for opioid use disorder, peer support, and case management.
- Crisis and Residential Recovery Unit East — 201 22nd Street, Ashland; a 28-day program with individual and group therapy, walk-ins welcome.
- Outpatient addiction services — 330 25th Street, Ashland.
- Quick Response Team (QRT) — Pathways' QRT reaches out to people within 24–72 hours of an overdose in Boyd and Greenup counties, when someone may be most open to help.
Pathways does not deny services for inability to pay and offers a sliding fee scale. Its crisis line is 606-324-1141, toll-free 800-562-8909.
The polysubstance reality
Kentucky's drug supply mixes stimulants and opioids, and more than 93% of the state's fentanyl-involved deaths in 2024 also involved another drug. Two practical steps:
- Tell any program everything you use. A plan built only around meth misses the fentanyl that may be in the same supply.
- If opioids are anywhere in the picture, carry naloxone. Certified Kentucky pharmacies dispense it without a separate prescription under the state's standing physician protocol, and Pathways provides overdose education.
Paying for treatment
Kentucky Medicaid covers medically necessary substance use disorder treatment for eligible members, including outpatient and residential care. If you are uninsured, Pathways can still serve you — ask about the sliding fee scale before you assume you cannot afford it.
How to start today
- If someone has chest pain, a seizure, or a dangerously high body temperature, call 911 now. For a crisis, call or text 988.
- Call or text (800) 653-9376 to talk through options with a person — free and without obligation:
Calling is free; the referral service is paid for by treatment providers.
- Call Pathways at 606-324-1141 (or 800-562-8909) and ask for a substance use assessment — walk in to 201 22nd Street if that is easier.
- Ask two questions of any program: do you offer contingency management, and can I be seen this week?
Methamphetamine use disorder is treatable. You do not have to wait for a bottom to start.
Emergency and crisis lines
Call 911 first if someone is unresponsive, seizing, overheated, or having chest pain after using. For a mental health or substance use crisis that is not a medical emergency, call or text 988, the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
This page is general health information, not medical advice. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by any facility named above.
Last updated: Mon Oct 19 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Frequently asked questions
Is there a medication for methamphetamine addiction?
No. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports there is no FDA-approved medication for methamphetamine or other stimulant use disorder. Treatment is behavioral - contingency management, cognitive behavioral therapy, and structured outpatient or residential programs.
How bad is meth in Boyd County?
The Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy identified methamphetamine in 20 Boyd County overdose deaths in 2024 - the third-highest county count in the state. The county recorded 34 total overdose deaths that year, an age-adjusted rate of 64.2 per 100,000, about twice Kentucky's 32.0.
What is contingency management?
Contingency management gives concrete rewards - vouchers, prizes, or gift cards - when drug tests come back negative. It has the strongest evidence base for stimulant use disorder. Programs do not always advertise it, so ask directly whether they offer it.
Where do I start in Ashland?
Pathways Inc. is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic serving Boyd County. Its Crisis and Residential Recovery Unit East is at 201 22nd Street in Ashland, and its outpatient addiction services are at 330 25th Street. It does not deny services for inability to pay, and its crisis line is 606-324-1141.
What should I do in an emergency?
Call 911 if someone has chest pain, a seizure, very high body temperature, severe agitation, or is unresponsive. For a mental health or substance use crisis that is not a medical emergency, call or text 988, or call Pathways at 606-324-1141.