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Drug Policy and Trends

Drug Markets and Supply
commentary
China's Ban on Fentanyl Drugs Won't Likely Stem America's Opioid Crisis
Bryce Pardo @brycepardo, Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer
May 22, 2019
Los Angeles Times
Given China's recent decision to ban the unauthorized manufacture of fentanyl, authorities there appear to recognize a growing problem. But China cannot solve the U.S. opioid problem. The United States could do more to reduce demand for opioids as well as drug users' exposure to these powerful drugs.
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Opioids
blog
A Holistic Approach to Solving the Opioid Crisis
Apr 15, 2019
While federal, state and, local governments deploy strategies to tackle the opioid crisis, the problem continues to proliferate. RAND researchers suggest that these strategies fail to solve the larger problem because they've largely been developed in silos. The opioid crisis is an ecosystem, and mitigating the problem will require a holistic approach.
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Opioids
commentary
(Grey's) Anatomy of an Opioid Crisis
Sarah MacCarthy, Bradley D. Stein @BradleyDStein
Apr 8, 2019
Scientific American
More than 130 Americans die every day after overdosing on opioids. So when one of the most popular shows on TV made opioid misuse a major plotline, RAND experts paid attention to how it presented this public health crisis. The show mirrored reality pretty closely, for the narrow slice of the opioid crisis it addressed.
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Substance Use Harm Reduction
commentary
Addressing Federal Conflicts Over Supervised Drug Consumption Sites
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer, Bryce Pardo @brycepardo
Mar 14, 2019
The Hill
With drug overdose deaths mounting, some American cities are trying to create designated spaces where people who use heroin and other drugs can have their consumption supervised by medical professionals. The Department of Justice argues these sites would violate federal law, but federal decisionmakers have several options.
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Opioids
commentary
Opioid-Dependent Newborns in My West Virginia Hometown Point to a Path Out of Drug Crisis
Stephen W. Patrick
Mar 6, 2019
USA Today
In small, rural towns like Bluefield, West Virginia, economies are hurting, the opioid epidemic is growing, and together they are taking a toll on a surprising population: pregnant women and their babies.
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Illegal Drugs
commentary
Opioids and a Crisis of Unintended Consequences
David Powell
Feb 20, 2019
The Hill
The pain medicine OxyContin was reformulated in 2010 to make it more difficult to crush or dissolve. But this had unintended consequences, including a rise in hepatitis C infections as drug abusers switched from taking OxyContin to injecting heroin.
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Tobacco and Smoking
commentary
Vaping May Have Its Place, Just Not With Teens
Michael Stephen Dunbar, Elizabeth J. D'Amico
Dec 17, 2018
CNN
While e-cigarettes may be a “safer” option for adult smokers, they are not safe for young people. Teens who vape are significantly more likely to start smoking traditional cigarettes in the future.
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Marijuana
commentary
Navigating Cannabis Legalization 2.0
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer, Mark A. R. Kleiman
Dec 4, 2018
The Hill
As the next round of states debate marijuana legalization, they would do well to contemplate allowing state governments to control the wholesale prices and linking the price of cannabis to its potency.
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Substance Abuse Treatment
commentary
In Opioid Policy, One Size Does Not Fit All
Bradley D. Stein @BradleyDStein
Oct 12, 2018
The Hill
To solve America's opioid crisis, policymakers will need to view the epidemic as an "ecosystem," where policies that target only one part of the problem can have unintended consequences.
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Underage Substance Use
q&a
How Marijuana Ads Affect Youth: Q&A with Elizabeth D'Amico
Aug 21, 2018
RAND's Elizabeth D'Amico discusses her research on how medical marijuana advertising influences adolescents' use of—and positive attitudes toward—the drug. Los Angeles County used her findings to limit the placement of marijuana billboards and signage outside dispensaries.
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Marijuana
commentary
Why Children Need to Be Shielded from Marijuana Ads
Elizabeth J. D'Amico
Jun 18, 2018
Los Angeles Times
By design, advertising is aimed at persuading us to want something. In the case of marijuana, that something is definitely not good for teenagers.
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Underage Substance Use
commentary
Advertising and Teens in the Era of the 'Blackout Brownie'
Elizabeth J. D'Amico
May 31, 2018
USA Today
Exposure to marijuana advertising may play a significant role in shaping teen attitudes about the drug, and contribute to increased marijuana use and related negative consequences throughout adolescence. Restrictions on marijuana advertising similar to those on alcohol and tobacco would likely help limit its exposure to teens.
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Substance Use Harm Reduction
commentary
Strategies to Help Young Adults Limit Negative Consequences of Marijuana Use
Eric R. Pedersen @ericrpedersen
Feb 19, 2018
The RAND Blog
Young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 have been shown to be the most prevalent and problematic users of marijuana. There are proven strategies that people can use to help protect themselves from experiencing harmful effects.
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Marijuana
commentary
How Will Cannabis Legalization Affect Alcohol Consumption?
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer, Rosanna Smart @RosannaSmart
Feb 13, 2018
GreenState (San Francisco Chronicle)
How will legalization of recreational marijuana affect alcohol consumption? Will drinking go down because people substitute cannabis for alcohol? Or will drinking go up because cannabis and alcohol complement each other? These questions have important implications.
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United States
blog
Trump's First State of the Union: Insights from RAND
Jan 31, 2018
RAND research, analysis, and expertise provide context for the issues discussed in the president's first State of the Union address, including infrastructure, North Korea, and opioids.
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Evidence Based Health Practice
commentary
Evidence-Based Treatments May Be Casualties of War on Drugs
Matthew Chinman, Joie D. Acosta
Jan 15, 2018
The Hill
U.S. schools and community organizations face a difficult battle to keep kids safe and drug-free. They need tools to help them choose programs that will work best for youth. The National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices is such a tool, but its future is uncertain.
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