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Drug Policy and Trends

Opioids
essay
Fentanyl: The Most Dangerous Illegal Drug in America
Jan 13, 2020
America's fentanyl crisis is unlike previous drug epidemics and is likely to get worse. Deaths involving it and other synthetic opioids have surged from around 3,000 in 2013 to more than 30,000 in 2018. Solving the problem requires innovative approaches and unprecedented resources.
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Turkey
blog
U.S.-Turkish Relations, Airports, Opioids: RAND Weekly Recap
Jan 17, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on the future of the U.S.-Turkish partnership, helping America's commercial airports meet rising demand, the opioid crisis, and more.
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Health and Wellness Promotion
blog
Preventing the Winter Blues, North Korea, Opioids: RAND Weekly Recap
Jan 3, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on how to ward off the winter blues, Kim Jong Un's latest threat, how to spend opioid settlement funds, and more.
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Health Care Costs
blog
Most Popular RAND Research of 2019
Dec 24, 2019
The search for lasting solutions to difficult policy problems starts with facts. Here are the 10 research projects that rand.org readers engaged with the most in 2019.
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Opioids
commentary
Where Science Says to Spend Any U.S. Opioid Settlement Money
Rebecca Lee Haffajee, Bradley D. Stein @BradleyDStein
Dec 19, 2019
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A global settlement with pharmaceutical companies has started to appear more and more likely. Even with billions of dollars, the settlement resources won't be unlimited. To avoid mistakes made in the tobacco master settlement agreement, any opioid funds must be carefully allocated.
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Drug Policy and Trends
blog
Celebrating a Milestone in Drug Policy Research
Dec 12, 2019
In 1989, RAND founded a new Drug Policy Research Center to provide rigorous, nonpartisan research to inform the debate on how to best address America's drug problem. Thirty years later, the center continues to do what it was created to do: improve the understanding of substance use and assess the consequences of an expanding range of drug policies.
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Hong Kong
blog
Hong Kong, Reducing Crime, Medical Marijuana: RAND Weekly Recap
Dec 6, 2019
This weekly recap focuses on what the U.S. can do about Hong Kong, reducing crime in Chicago, medical marijuana, and more.
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Artificial Intelligence
blog
Artificial Intelligence Bias, Russia, Fentanyl: RAND Weekly Recap
Nov 29, 2019
This weekly recap focuses on bias in algorithms, Russia's limits in the Middle East, understanding the fentanyl crisis, and more.
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Drug Markets and Supply
commentary
What Will the Opioid Crisis Look Like in Five Years?
Jirka Taylor, Peter Reuter
Nov 18, 2019
Concord Monitor in New Hampshire
Evidence suggests that once a synthetic opioid like fentanyl becomes dominant in a drug market, it stays that way. With that in mind, the United States should prepare for these drugs as a lasting phenomenon.
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Opioids
commentary
Synthetic Opioid Crisis Still Growing, Often Among Unwitting Users
Bryce Pardo @brycepardo, Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer
Oct 14, 2019
Axios
Although opioid prescriptions in the U.S. have fallen, opioid overdose deaths remain at historic levels. The continued spread of fentanyl and other illicitly manufactured synthetic opioids suggests the problem could still get worse.
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Cyber Warfare
blog
Virtual Societal Warfare, Iran, Opioids: RAND Weekly Recap
Oct 11, 2019
This weekly recap focuses on the risk of virtual societal welfare, Iran's domestic debates, federal policy options for supervised consumption sites, and more.
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China
blog
China's 70th Anniversary, Wargaming, Fentanyl: RAND Weekly Recap
Oct 4, 2019
This weekly recap focuses on what the future holds for China, the importance of gender diversity in wargaming, how Army families address life's challenges, and more.
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Tobacco and Smoking
blog
E-Cigarettes, 'Stand Your Ground,' Cyber Coercion: RAND Weekly Recap
Sep 20, 2019
This weekly recap focuses on the planned federal ban on flavored e-cigarettes, “stand your ground” laws, understanding cyber coercion, and more.
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Hurricanes
blog
Hurricane Dorian, Al Qaeda, Veterans' Health: RAND Weekly Recap
Sep 13, 2019
This weekly recap looks at Hurricane Dorian recovery, al Qaeda 18 years after 9/11, veterans' mental health care, and more.
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Information Operations
blog
Social Manipulation, Boko Haram, Citizen Scientists: RAND Weekly Recap
Sep 6, 2019
This weekly recap looks at hostile social manipulation, stopping the next Boko Haram, a citizen-science success story, and more.
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commentary
Tackle Fentanyl like a Poisoning Outbreak, Not a Drug Epidemic
Bryce Pardo @brycepardo, Jonathan P. Caulkins, Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer
Sep 3, 2019
Los Angeles Times
America's fentanyl problem is far deadlier than past crises with other illegal drugs. New ideas, be they public policies, technologies or law enforcement strategies, are desperately needed. Continuing to treat fentanyl just like previous drug epidemics will likely be insufficient and may condemn thousands more to early deaths.
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