Quick answer
Methamphetamine is a stimulant, so no medication treats it directly — behavioral care does. Kenton County had 23 stimulant-involved overdose deaths in 2024 out of 52 total. NorthKey Community Care runs outpatient treatment with a 24/7 crisis line, and the NKY Addiction Helpline helps people get in. Here is how to start.
Methamphetamine is one of the two drugs most often found in Kentucky overdose deaths, and unlike opioids it has no replacement medication. What it does have is treatment that works — behavioral care that helps you rebuild routines, relationships, and reasons to stay stopped. In Covington, that care is a phone call away.
What Kenton County's numbers show
The Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center counted 52 drug overdose deaths among Kenton County residents in 2024, an age-adjusted rate of 30.1 per 100,000. 23 of those deaths involved stimulants — a category that includes both methamphetamine and cocaine — while 41 involved opioids and 31 involved fentanyl.
Statewide, methamphetamine was identified in 576 overdose deaths in 2024 — 40% of Kentucky's total. It is not a fringe drug here. It is one of the main ones.
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 Covington
NorthKey Community Care is the community behavioral health provider serving Northern Kentucky, with outpatient substance use treatment, medication services, and a 24/7 crisis line at 859-331-3292.
The Northern Kentucky Addiction Helpline, 859-415-9280, is a free, local line that helps people find treatment and get connected to it. You do not need insurance or a referral to call.
The polysubstance reality
Kentucky's drug supply mixes stimulants and opioids, and 93.6% of the state's fentanyl-involved deaths in 2024 also involved at least one other 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, and the Northern Kentucky Health Department gives out free naloxone and runs a syringe access exchange in Kenton County on Thursdays, 1:00–4:00 p.m. at 1415 James Simpson Jr. Way.
Paying for treatment
Kentucky Medicaid covers medically necessary substance use disorder treatment for eligible members, including outpatient and residential care. If you are uninsured, community behavioral health providers 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 NorthKey at 859-331-3292 or the NKY Addiction Helpline at 859-415-9280 and ask for a substance use assessment.
- 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 common is meth in Kenton County overdoses?
The Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center reports 23 stimulant-involved overdose deaths among Kenton County residents in 2024, out of 52 total overdose deaths. That figure counts cocaine and methamphetamine together, because state data groups stimulants.
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 for methamphetamine.
Where do I start in Covington?
NorthKey Community Care provides outpatient substance use treatment across Northern Kentucky and runs a 24/7 crisis line at 859-331-3292. The Northern Kentucky Addiction Helpline, 859-415-9280, is a free local line that helps people find and get into treatment.
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 or text (800) 653-9376.