A combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and a rise in e-commerce has changed familiar traffic patterns around the globe for several illicit substances, Stephen McConachie, chief operations manager for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, told Cocaine, Meth & Stimulant Summit attendees in a Sunday session.

Processing the loss of substance use as a coping mechanism is an essential part of the recovery process, Derrick Johnson, LCMHC, LCAS, MAC, NCC, executive and clinical director of NorthStar Clinical Services in Charlotte, told attendees in a Sunday session at the Cocaine, Meth & Stimulant Summit.

With the lethality, availability and use of stimulants all greatly increasing in the U.S. in recent years and the COVID-19 pandemic complicating the treatment landscape for patients and practitioners alike, it’s critical for providers to weather the storm, Deni Carise, PhD, chief science officer for Recovery Centers of America, told Cocaine, Meth & Stimulant Summit attendees in a Saturday session.

Given their position as a first point of criminal justice contact for many individuals with behavioral health needs, jails can facilitate a reduction in recidivism by implementing screening and assessment practices, said Albert Kopak, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Western Carolina University.

With methamphetamine and cocaine use on the rise across the U.S. and no medications as yet approved by the FDA, a combination of contingency management and community reinforcement is the most effective treatment modality for treating stimulant addiction, NIDA director Nora Volkow, MD, said in a Stimulant Summit keynote.

Fentanyl remains the No. 1 illicit substance threat in Vermont, but multiple trends point to cocaine and methamphetamine becoming increasingly prevalent within the state, drug intelligence officer James Downes, MS, and public health analyst Stephanie Thompson, MPA of the Vermont Intelligence Center said in a session presented Friday.

Judge Kevin R. Mullins, of Kentucky’s 47th district, explains how helping defendants connect with treatment and other community-supported initiatives have helped Letcher County respond first to the opioid crisis and now a surge in methamphetamine use.

Eric S. Talbot, MS, assistant director of ONDCP’s National Cocaine Coordination Group and a presenter at the upcoming Cocaine, Meth & Stimulant Summit, discusses his office’s efforts to monitor drug trends, expand treatment and mitigate the challenges of COVID-19.

Gateway Foundation executive director Sally Thoren discusses the organization's efforts to facilitate warm hand-offs of substance use disorder patients from emergency rooms to addiction treatment facilities, and the added challenges involved with stimulant-using patients.

Director Ashley M. Shaw, MS, MBA, shares the Creating Opportunity for Recovery Employment program’s philosophy for connecting individuals in recovery with the right job opportunities and building trust with area employers.