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Substance Use Disorders

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Addictions to, dependence on, and abuse of alcohol and drugs—from marijuana and methamphetamine to cocaine and heroin—place emotional and economic burdens on individuals, families, and communities. RAND research provides a firm, empirical foundation for policymakers and helps community leaders and public officials worldwide to deal effectively with substance abuse and associated issues.

Essay

Opioid Rising: How to Stop the World's Growing Heroin Crisis

Oct 20, 2015

Sixty-seven people will die today in America because of heroin or narcotic painkillers, if recent overdose statistics are any guide. RAND research offers strategies to save those lives and thousands more around the world.
Commentary

Should Some Californians Lose Their 'License to Drink'?

Jul 6, 2016

In California, many efforts to reduce repeat drunken driving focus on the driving. What if the state targeted the “drunk” aspect instead?

Explore Substance Abuse

Journal Article

Journal Article

Predicting Evidence-Based Treatment Sustainment: Results from a Longitudinal Study of the Adolescent-Community Reinforcement Approach

Providers' ability to sustain A-CRA programming beyond initial implementation support depended on factors such as the level of implementation success, staff perceptions toward the intervention, funding stability, and community support.

Jul 18, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

The Impact of Normative Perceptions on Alcohol Consumption in Military Veterans

The attitudes of military personnel about drinking predict their future drinking behaviors and may be key to understanding the relationship between normative perceptions about drinking and drinking behaviors.

Jul 14, 2017
News Release

Three Possible Measures for Quality Medical Care May Help Cut Deaths from Opioid Addiction by One-Third

Following three possible recommendations for medical care for people with an opioid addiction may cut deaths among such patients by as much as one-third. Deaths were much lower among patients who were not prescribed opioids or common types of anxiety medications, those who received psychosocial counseling, and those who had quarterly visits with a physician.

Jun 27, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Overview of Drug Treatment for Drug-Abusing Criminal Offenders: Insights from California's Proposition 36 and Arizona's Proposition 200

California's Proposition 36 and Arizona's Proposition 200 allowed some drug-abusing criminal offenders to enter drug treatment instead of being incarcerated. This policy brief provides early results of the two programs.

Jun 13, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Desistance Mandates Compared with Treatment Mandates in Criminal Justice Populations

Empowering those under criminal justice supervision to cease drug use on their own - rather than forcing them into formal treatment against their will - is a policy approach that warrants further evaluation.

Jun 8, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Sources of Care for Alcohol and Other Drug Problems: The Role of the African American Church

Many Los Angeles-area African American churches provide recovery supports and services for alcohol and other drug (AOD) use and actively connect individuals to formal AOD treatment.

Jun 6, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Relationship Between Provider Stigma and Predictors of Staff Turnover Among Addiction Treatment Providers

Addiction treatment providers are less likely to be satisfied with their work if they hold negative views towards patients with substance abuse disorders.

Jun 6, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Medical Marijuana and Marijuana Legalization

State actions to relax marijuana policies vary substantially, making it difficult to compare policies and draw conclusions about user and market reactions.

May 31, 2017
Report

Report

Mid-Term Assessment of the EU Drugs Strategy 2013–2020 and Final Evaluation of the Action Plan on Drugs 2013–2016: Final report

The report sets out the findings of an evaluation that assesses the degree of implementation of the EU Drugs Strategy 2013-2020 and the Action Plan 2013-2016 in all 28 EU Member States in terms of outputs and, where possible, impacts.

May 24, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Web-Based, Personalized Normative Feedback Alcohol Intervention for Young-Adult Veterans

One month after a single 10-minute intervention to adjust perceptions of peer drinking behavior, young veterans reported significant reductions in their drinking compared with control participants.

May 19, 2017
Tool

SUMMIT Study Protocol: Step-by-Step Procedures for Providing Screening, Brief Intervention, and Treatment Services to Primary Care Patients with Opioid or Alcohol Use Disorders

This integrated collaborative care protocol was created for a research study that looked at ways to implement medication-assisted and behavioral treatment for patients with opioid and alcohol use disorders in a community health clinic.

May 11, 2017
Commentary

Mixed Messages: Is Cocaine Consumption in the U.S. Going Up or Down?

Data lags and the elimination of the ADAM program complicate estimates of U.S. cocaine consumption. New users who haven't yet developed cocaine dependence are also a factor. It may be prudent to start planning for an increase in heavy use even before all of the evidence is in.

Apr 28, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Continuous Quality Improvement in Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities: How Much Does It Cost?

The costs of implementing continuous quality improvement activities in substance abuse treatment facilities are relatively low overall.

Apr 26, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Treatment Motivation Among Caregivers and Adolescents with Substance Use Disorders

Treatment-seeking for substance use disorders among adolescents is more effective at promoting engagement with health care if the motivation comes from the adolescent him/herself rather than from a caregiver.

Apr 13, 2017
Multimedia

Funding Considerations in the Fight Against the Opioid Epidemic

Testimony presented before the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies on April 5, 2017.

Apr 5, 2017
Testimony

Funding Considerations in the Fight Against the Opioid Epidemic

Recent strategies to combat the opioid epidemic have had some success. But much more research is needed to understand their effectiveness. For pressing funding decisions, policymakers should focus on tactics that address both prescription opioid and heroin use.

Apr 5, 2017
Journal Article

Recreational Cannabis: Minimizing the Health Risks from Legalization

Legalizing recreational use of marijuana comes with a host of policy decisions, including how to regulate the supply, pricing, and access to the drug, and how to approach public health messaging on substance abuse prevention.

Mar 28, 2017
Journal Article

Association of State Recreational Marijuana Laws with Adolescent Marijuana Use

After recreational marijuana laws were passed, perceived harm associated with marijuana use decreased among students in 8th and 10th grades in Washington state and use increased; neither perception nor use changed in Colorado after legalization.

Mar 16, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

A Group-Based Motivational Interviewing Brief Intervention to Reduce Substance Use and Sexual Risk Behavior Among Homeless Young Adults

A brief group-based motivational interview intervention was effective in helping homeless young adults make positive changes in their alcohol and condom use.

Mar 16, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Substance Use Among Palestinian Youth in the West Bank, Palestine: A Qualitative Investigation

This study provides insights into the perceived prevalence and patterns of alcohol and drug use among Palestinian youth.

Mar 15, 2017

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RAND Topic:
Substance Abuse

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