Welcome to the RAND Drug Policy Research Center
Providing decisionmakers with rigorous, nonpartisan research on substance use and drug policy
Since 1989, the RAND Drug Policy Research Center has conducted research to help decisionmakers in the United States and throughout the world address issues involving alcohol and other drugs. In doing so, the Center brings an objective and data-driven perspective to this often emotional and fractious policy arena.
Featured at DPRC
SAMHSA Features the DPRC's Getting To Outcomes Model in 2012 Meetings on Underage Drinking
SAMHSA has built its 2012 Town Hall Meetings around Getting To Outcomes®, a prevention toolkit co-created by DPRC and researchers at the University of South Carolina. More About Getting To Outcomes »
DPRC in the News
A selection of news reporting on critical RAND Drug Policy Research Center research and commentary.
- Drugs: It's Time to Talk (Sydney Morning Herald)
- The Marijuana Exception (Wall Street Journal)
- Difficult to Analyze the Drug Market in Mexico Without Figures: Experts (Milenio, Mexico)
- After-School Programs May Reduce Adolescent Alcohol Use (Education Week)
- Washington State Marijuana Legalization Headed for Ballot (Reuters)
- Rolling Up Medical Marijuana (Dow Jones Investment Banker - subscription required)
- Global Prevalence of Illicit Drug Use Common, Underestimated (Medscape)
- Mayor Bloomberg's Booze Crackdown (Forbes)
- Redução de Crimes Marca Combate Ao Crack Nos EUA (BBC Brazil)
- Black and Asian Teens Have Lowest Rates of Drug and Alcohol Use (Bloomberg News)
- Science Can Solve Social Problems (Monitor on Psychology)
- Black and Asian Teens Have Lowest Rates of Drug and Alcohol Use (Bloomberg News)
- Study Backs Substance Abuse Services (ABC News Australia, The World Today)
- U.S. Eyes Medical Marijuana Industry (National Public Radio)
- An Invitation to Overreach (New York Times)
- California Pot-Clinic Crackdown Threatens $1 Billion Industry (Bloomberg News)
- Going Dutch: Teen Marijuana Use in the US vs. Netherlands (East Bay Express, CA)
- Legalization of Marijuana Makes Sense (Post Independent)
- The Case Against Legalization (San Diego Union-Tribune)
- California's Prisoner Shuffle (Los Angeles Times)
- Demand Side Policies in the U.S. War on Drugs (Council on Foreign Relations)
- A New Way to Fight Mexico's Vicious Cartels: Legalizing Marijuana (Time Magazine, online)
Featured Projects
Treating Depression in People with Substance Abuse Problems
Building Recovery by Improving Goals, Habits, and Thoughts (BRIGHT) is a group cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, to treat depression in people with substance abuse problems.
Analyzing the Illicit Drug Market in the EU
To further analyze Europe's illicit drug market and the EU's responses to it, DPRC and RAND Europe are teaming with European partners to expand their original 2009 research on the global drug market.
Enhancing Substance Use Prevention Capacity with Developmental Assets
This project will assess the impact of the Assets-Getting To Outcomes model on prevention capacity, performance, and youth outcomes in 12 community-based prevention coalitions.
Evaluating the Causal Pathways from Lapse to Relapse in Smokers
The goal of this project is to uncover the psychological variables that cause smokers to relapse. The results will be used to inform a new generation of more successful smoking cessation treatments.
Evaluating the South Dakota's 24/7 Sobriety Project to Reduce Alcohol-Related Crime
South Dakota's 24/7 Sobriety Program requires that offenders submit to breathalyzer tests twice per day or wear a transdermal alcohol monitoring bracelet. Those testing positive for alcohol are immediately placed in jail for a day or two. Since 2005, more than 18,000 individuals have participated in 24/7 and RAND will assess the costs and benefits of the program.
Evaluating the Efficacy of Social Impact Bonds to Reduce Criminal Recidivism
RAND Europe has been commissioned to evaluate the development, implementation and operation of this first ever Social Impact Bond.
RAND® is a registered trademark. Copyright © 1994-2012 RAND Corporation.