Quick answer
Cocaine was involved in 39% of Ohio's unintentional drug overdose deaths in 2023, up from 33% the year before, and 79% of those deaths also involved fentanyl. There is no FDA-approved medication for cocaine use disorder, but behavioral therapy works. Portsmouth has outpatient and intensive outpatient options within 30 miles.
Cocaine's role in Ohio's overdose deaths is growing faster than any other drug's, and in Scioto County it carries an extra hazard: the powder is frequently cut with fentanyl. No medication treats cocaine use disorder, so the help that works here is behavioral - and it is available. Here is what treatment looks like around Portsmouth and how to start.
What does cocaine treatment actually look like?
It depends on how long and how heavily you have been using, and whether fentanyl is also involved. If you use occasionally and want to stop, structured outpatient therapy - often cognitive behavioral therapy once or twice a week - can be enough. If use is daily, has cost you a job or a relationship, or comes with fentanyl exposure, an intensive outpatient program with several visits a week holds better. If you have been using heavily and are crashing, withdrawal management may come first. In every case, the first step is a program that will assess you and build a plan.
Why fentanyl changes the stakes for cocaine use
The Ohio Department of Health found that cocaine was involved in 1,738 unintentional drug overdose deaths in Ohio in 2023 - 39% of all such deaths, up from 33% the year before and the largest increase of any drug category. Critically, 79% of the deaths involving cocaine also involved fentanyl. That is why a cocaine page belongs next to opioid pages: the powder is frequently not what it seems.
Anyone using cocaine should assume fentanyl may be present, carry naloxone, and avoid using alone. If someone becomes unresponsive or their breathing slows, call 911 and give naloxone - it can reverse the opioid component even when cocaine triggered the episode.
What the local data show
The Ohio Department of Health counted 47 unintentional overdose deaths in Scioto County in 2024, down from 81 in 2023 - a rate of 71.5 per 100,000. The drop is real, but the county's 2020-2024 average rate of 118.5 per 100,000 was still the highest in Ohio, and most local overdose deaths involve more than one substance.
Treatment works, and it is behavioral
There is no FDA-approved medication for cocaine use disorder. The treatments with the strongest evidence are behavioral:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) - helps you recognize and change the situations and thoughts that lead back to use.
- Contingency management - small, structured rewards for verified periods of not using, with strong evidence for stimulant use disorder.
- Motivational interviewing and the Matrix Model - approaches that pair counseling with practical relapse-prevention skills.
Many Portsmouth-area programs deliver these through outpatient or intensive outpatient care, which fits around work and family better than residential treatment.
Within 30 miles of central Portsmouth, the SAMHSA treatment locator lists 37 substance use treatment facilities (pull dated October 23, 2026):
- 31 offering outpatient care and 23 providing intensive outpatient programs
- 8 offering detoxification and 8 offering residential care
- 25 offer a sliding fee scale, and all 37 report accepting Medicaid
Where to get help in Portsmouth
The ADAMHS Board of Adams, Lawrence and Scioto Counties (919 Seventh Street, Portsmouth, OH 45662; 740-354-5648) plans and funds behavioral health services for the tri-county area and is the right starting point if you are uninsured or unsure where to begin. Among its providers, The Counseling Center offers outpatient addiction treatment and recovery housing in Portsmouth, and Shawnee Family Health Center combines behavioral health with primary care at its Scioto County clinic.
Free naloxone is available through Naloxone.Ohio.gov and the local health district - carry it, because cocaine is often cut with fentanyl.
Paying for cocaine treatment in Portsmouth
Ohio Medicaid covers medically necessary substance use disorder treatment, including outpatient and intensive outpatient care, for eligible members. Ohio expanded Medicaid in 2014, so many low-income adults qualify. If you are uninsured, ask the ADAMHS Board about payment help, and note that most local programs offer a sliding fee scale.
How to start today
- If someone is overdosing, call 911 and give naloxone. For a crisis, call or text 988.
- Call or text (800) 653-9376 to speak with a treatment specialist, or use this form:
Calling is free; the referral service is paid for by treatment providers, and we check your benefits before you commit.
- Search findtreatment.gov from any Portsmouth ZIP code and filter for outpatient or intensive outpatient care.
- Pick up free naloxone through Naloxone.Ohio.gov before you need it.
Cocaine is treatable with the right kind of therapy, and the risk that fentanyl adds is one you can plan around. The first appointment is where that plan starts.
This page is general health information, not medical advice. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by any facility named above. Other Cocaine treatment in Ohio: Cocaine treatment in Akron, Ohio, Cocaine treatment in Canton, Ohio, Cocaine treatment in Chillicothe, Ohio, Cocaine treatment in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cocaine treatment in Cleveland, Ohio, Cocaine treatment in Columbus, Ohio, Cocaine treatment in Dayton, Ohio, Cocaine treatment in Hamilton, Ohio, Cocaine treatment in Kettering, Ohio, Cocaine treatment in Lorain, Ohio, Cocaine treatment in Springfield, Ohio, Cocaine treatment in Steubenville, Ohio.
Last updated: Fri Oct 23 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Frequently asked questions
Is there medication for cocaine addiction?
No medication is FDA-approved to treat cocaine use disorder, according to NIDA. That makes behavioral treatment - cognitive behavioral therapy and contingency management in particular - the main evidence-based approach, usually delivered through outpatient or intensive outpatient programs.
Does cocaine in Ohio contain fentanyl?
Often, yes. The Ohio Department of Health found that 79% of 2023 unintentional overdose deaths involving cocaine also involved fentanyl. Anyone using cocaine should assume fentanyl may be present, carry naloxone, and avoid using alone.
What treatment is available near Portsmouth for cocaine use?
Within 30 miles of central Portsmouth, the SAMHSA locator lists 37 substance use treatment facilities, including 31 offering outpatient care, 23 providing intensive outpatient programs, 8 offering detoxification, and 8 with residential care, in a pull dated October 23, 2026.
How common are cocaine overdose deaths in Ohio?
The Ohio Department of Health counted 1,738 unintentional overdose deaths involving cocaine in 2023, which was 39% of all such deaths - the largest increase of any drug category from the year before, when cocaine was involved in 33%.
What should I do if someone overdoses?
Call 911. If the person is unresponsive or breathing slowly, give naloxone if you have it - a cocaine overdose can be caused by fentanyl mixed in, and naloxone can reverse that. For a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988.