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Substance Use

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Substance use touches on many facets of public policy, including health and health care, economic issues, criminal justice, and risk behaviors — particularly among youth. Accordingly, RAND conducts drug policy research that addresses a range of concerns, from treatment effectiveness, harm reduction, drug markets and supply, and predictors and consequences to evaluations of programs to prevent youth from using and abusing drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.

Research Brief

Substance Use Among U.S. Active-Duty Service Members

Jun 21, 2018

The 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey asked active-duty service members about their use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit and prescription drugs. Cigarette smoking in the military has decreased over the past decade, but rates of binge drinking are still high enough to cause concern.
News Release

Youth Who Use Vaping Products Are More Likely to Smoke Cigarettes, Increase Use of Both Over Time

Oct 2, 2018

Adolescents who use vaping products are not only more likely to smoke cigarettes but are also likely to increase their use of both products over time. The increased use cannot be attributed to other risk factors, such as consuming alcohol or marijuana.

Explore Substance Use

Journal Article

Journal Article

Motivational Interviewing and Culture for Urban Native American Youth (MICUNAY): A Randomized Controlled Trial

Urban Native American teens may benefit from culturally centered programs. No differences found between MICUNAY + Community Wellness Gatherings (CWGs) and CWGs only.

Jan 14, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Patterns of Alternative Tobacco Product Use Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness

Findings suggest efforts to reduce the use of tobacco products among youth experiencing homelessness should focus on the combined use of these products and screen for substance use disorder and housing stability to include those that need help the most.

Jan 14, 2020
Essay

Fentanyl: The Most Dangerous Illegal Drug in America

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.

Jan 13, 2020
Journal Article

Growth and Distribution of Buprenorphine-Waivered Providers in the United States, 2007–2017

This study sheds light on the distribution of buprenorphine-waivered prescribers over the past decade. Growth has been rapid in communities affected by the opioid crisis, but slower in rural communities, and those with lower levels of education.

Jan 8, 2020
Periodical

Periodical

RAND Review: January-February 2020

Feature stories spotlight research on America's fentanyl crisis and new approaches to clinical guideline development. The Commentary column features terrorism expert Colin Clarke on the threat of white supremacists in the United States.

Jan 6, 2020
Blog

Preventing the Winter Blues, North Korea, Opioids: RAND Weekly Recap

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.

Jan 3, 2020
Blog

Most Popular RAND Research of 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.

Dec 24, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Co-use of Tobacco and Marijuana Among Young People Experiencing Homelessness in Los Angeles County

The present study is a first step in understanding the prevalence, types, and correlates of co-use in a probability sample of young tobacco users experiencing homelessness.

Dec 20, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Sexual Minority Substance Use Disparities: Bisexual Women at Elevated Risk Relative to Other Sexual Minority Groups

The objective of this study is to test for differences in the prevalence of a range of substance use behaviors and disorders across LGBT individuals of the same gender using a nationally representative sample of adults.

Dec 20, 2019
Commentary

Where Science Says to Spend Any U.S. Opioid Settlement Money

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.

Dec 19, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Opioid Litigation and Maternal-Child Health: Investing in the Future

Funds from opioid litigation should be allocated in a way that benefits those most affected and reduces the risk of future harm.

Dec 19, 2019
Multimedia

Addressing the U.S. Opioid Crisis: Using an Integrated Systems-Based Approach

An overview of testimony by Bradley D. Stein presented before the Senate Judiciary Committee on December 17, 2019.

Dec 17, 2019
Testimony

Approaching the U.S. Opioid Crisis as an Ecosystem

Policymakers should think of the opioid crisis as an ecosystem and consider how its many parts interact—especially in unexpected ways. A broader view of the crisis will help those confronting it better prepare for the challenges ahead.

Dec 17, 2019
Tool

Medications for Alcohol Use Disorder in Mental Health Settings

This tool reviews how clinicians who work in mental health settings can provide pharmacotherapy treatment for an alcohol use disorder that co-occurs with a primary mental health condition.

Dec 13, 2019
Blog

Celebrating a Milestone in Drug Policy Research

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.

Dec 12, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Roll-your-own Cigarette Smoking Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness

Roll-your-own cigarettes may encourage continued tobacco use among youth experiencing homelessness and pose additional health risks, despite users' beliefs to the contrary.

Dec 12, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Associations of Tobacco Advertising Appeal With Intentions to Use Alternative Tobacco Products Among Young Tobacco Users Experiencing Homelessness

The primary goal of this study was to examine the relationship between the appeal of advertising for five classes of tobacco product and future intentions to use those products, among youth experiencing homelessness who had some level of experience with it.

Dec 12, 2019
Tool

Tool

User Guide for the Training in Psychotherapy (TIP) Tool 2.0

The Training in Psychotherapy (TIP) Tool assesses how well psychotherapy trainings for community-based providers include elements of trainings identified as potentially effective. This guide provides an update of the TIP Tool based on pilot testing.

Dec 11, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Health, Homelessness Severity, and Substance Use Among Sexual Minority Youth Experiencing Homelessness: A Comparison of Bisexual Versus Gay and Lesbian Youth

We examined subgroup differences in homelessness severity, depression, physical health, and substance use, focusing on differences between bisexual and gay/lesbian youth, among homeless youth in Los Angeles.

Dec 11, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Early Alcohol and Smoking Initiation: A Contributor to Sexual Minority Disparities in Adult Use

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults report higher rates of smoking and alcohol use than heterosexual peers. Prior studies have not examined whether disparities in early initiation among lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth contribute to adult disparities.

Dec 11, 2019

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RAND Topic:
Substance Use

Topic Synonyms:
Drug Use