Vouchers for clean drug tests helped people stay off drugs in 30 studies

The review

1. 01

   Who took part

   People in treatment for drugs, alcohol or smoking took part. The review combined 30 studies on staying off drugs and 10 on clinic visits and medicine.

2. 02

   What they did

   People earned vouchers they could spend on goods and services when they met a goal, such as a clean drug test. Other groups got no vouchers, or got vouchers whatever they did. Daily earnings ranged from under $5 to over $16, and programmes lasted from under two weeks to over 12 weeks.

3. 03

   What happened

   Across the studies of drug use, vouchers helped people stay off drugs more than getting no vouchers did. Across studies, vouchers given at the same visit as the drug test worked about twice as well as later ones. A check found no sign that studies with weak results were left out.

What the review found

1. HelpedGoals

   Across 30 studies, earning vouchers for drug-free tests helped people stay off drugs.

   • Rule: Get a reward or payment for doing ittested

   Pooled analysis of 30 studies · vs people who got no vouchers, or vouchers whatever they did · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ mixes trials with other kinds of study

2. HelpedGoals

   Across 4 studies, earning vouchers for taking medicine helped people take more of their doses.

   • Rule: Get a reward or payment for doing ittested

   Pooled analysis of 4 studies · vs people who got no vouchers · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ mixes trials with other kinds of study

3. HelpedOther outcomes

   Across 6 studies, earning vouchers helped people attend clinic a little more.

   • Rule: Get a reward or payment for doing ittested

   Pooled analysis of 6 studies · vs people who got no vouchers · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ mixes trials with other kinds of study

Source