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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.

News Release

Density of Marijuana Outlets Associated with More and Higher Use Among Young Adults

Jan 13, 2021

As marijuana outlets open after the drug is legalized, the density of those recreational retailers is associated with more use and a greater intensity of use among young adults.
Multimedia

RAND Remote: High Stakes, Fostering Innovation to Stem the Tide of America's Drug Problems

Jan 28, 2021

In this RAND Remote presentation, Beau Kilmer discusses how RAND is identifying and evaluating innovative approaches to tackle some of America's most pressing drug problems and help strengthen and safeguard communities.

Explore Substance Use

Journal Article

Buprenorphine Prescriber Monthly Patient Caseloads: An Examination of 6-Year Trajectories

We examine buprenorphine-prescribing clinicians' patient caseloads over time and explore prescriber characteristics associated with different caseload trajectories.

Oct 1, 2021
Report

Final Evaluation of LA DOOR: Proposition 47 Grant Program

In this report, the authors summarize their findings from an evaluation of Cohort 1 of the Los Angeles Diversion, Outreach, and Opportunities for Recovery program.

Sep 30, 2021
Journal Article

Claims-based Measures of Prescription Opioid Utilization: A Practical Guide for Researchers

We reviewed medical literature for recent studies that use claims data to construct opioid utilization measures, then developed a guide for researchers regarding opioid utilization measures and measure definitions, and how these may influence study results.

Sep 30, 2021
Journal Article

Consensus-based Approach to Managing Opioids, Including Opioid Misuse and Opioid Use Disorder, in Patients with Serious Illness: Protocol for a Modified Delphi Process

Using a modified Delphi approach, we created seven patient cases that capture important management challenges in individuals with serious illness prescribed opioid therapy.

Sep 22, 2021
Periodical

RAND Review: September-October 2021

The cover story highlights strategies to mitigate homegrown terrorism and ideologically inspired violence in the U.S. A second feature describes Costa Rica's ambitious decarbonization plan and its implications for nations around the world.

Sep 7, 2021
Journal Article

Pregnant Women with Substance Use Disorders: The Harm Associated with Punitive Approaches

Punishing pregnant women with SUDs has been ineffective; it's time to prioritize approaches that support pregnant women and their families.

Aug 31, 2021
Journal Article

Longitudinal Associations Between Changes in Cigarette Smoking and Alcohol Use, Eating Behavior, Perceived Stress, and Self-Rated Health in a Cohort of Low-Income Black Adults

We found significant longitudinal associations between smoking behavior and eating behavior, perceived stress, and self-rated health. This has implications for the development of behavior change programs and community-level interventions and policies.

Aug 27, 2021
Dissertation

Three Essays on the Broader Effects of the Opioid Crisis

Investigates the unintended consequences of opioid policies, OxyContin reformulation and prescription drug monitoring programs on crime, labor supply, and child welfare.

Aug 24, 2021
Blog

Historic Lynchings and Voter Registration, China in Space, Firefighters' Mental Health: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the link between historic lynchings and voter registration, Afghanistan in the era of fentanyl, supporting firefighters’ mental health, and more.

Jul 30, 2021
Report

Afghanistan in the Era of Fentanyl

Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are displacing heroin in some major drug markets. What might happen to Afghanistan—the world's largest producer of illegal opium poppy—if demand for its opiates dropped off sharply and permanently?

Jul 26, 2021
Journal Article

Informing the Development of a Standardized Clinical Definition of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: Protocol for a Modified-Delphi Expert Panel

The goal of this paper is to describe a protocol for a systematic expert panel process to inform the development of a clinical definition of neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Jul 23, 2021
Journal Article

Mental Health Conditions and Substance Use Disorders Among Youth Subsequently Diagnosed With Opioid Use Disorder or Opioid Poisoning

This study examined receipt of services for mental health conditions and non-opioid substance use disorders among privately insured adolescents and young adults (ie, youth) with subsequent clinically diagnosed opioid use disorder or opioid poisoning.

Jul 21, 2021
Journal Article

Can Novel 'Swift-Certain-Fair' Programs Work Outside of Pioneering Jurisdictions? An Analysis of 24/7 Sobriety in Montana, USA

South Dakota USA's 24/7 Sobriety Program appears to work in Montana as well. Certain delivery of immediate but modest sanctions for repeat driving under the influence (DUI) arrestees who violate alcohol abstinence orders appears to be able to reduce future DUI arrests.

Jul 20, 2021
Journal Article

Cannabis Legalization and Social Equity: Some Opportunities, Puzzles, and Trade-Offs

Legalization for nonmedical purposes may create new sources of disproportionate harm even as it alleviates some inequities associated with cannabis prohibition.

Jul 16, 2021
Tool

How to Integrate Pharmacotherapy for Substance Use Disorders at Your Mental Health Clinic: A Step-By-Step Guide for Screening and Treating Adults with Co-Occurring Mental Illness and Alcohol and/or Opioid Use Disorders with Pharmacotherapy in Mental Health Clinics

RAND researchers provide a toolkit to support the delivery of effective, evidence-based pharmacotherapy for clients with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders and simplify care implementation in mental health clinics.

Jul 8, 2021
Tool

Medication Management of Co-Occurring Opioid Use Disorder in Mental Health Settings: A Guide for Practitioners

Researchers and clinicians provide a guide for identifying clients with co-occurring opioid use and mental health disorders in mental health settings and treating these clients with an appropriate opioid use disorder medication.

Jul 8, 2021
Periodical

RAND Review: July-August 2021

One feature highlights how researchers apply an equity lens to projects on environmental racism, incarcerated parents, and the lives of Black service members; a second describes interventions to address disparities in infant mortality rates.

Jul 1, 2021
Multimedia

State-Level Opioid Policy Analyses: Moving Beyond the Classic Difference-in-Differences Model

This workshop provides an overview of key methodological challenges faced when evaluating the effectiveness of state-level policy using annual state-level data, as well as potential solutions and practice guidelines.

Jun 24, 2021
Journal Article

Organizational Capacity and Readiness to Provide Medication for Individuals with Co-Occurring Alcohol Use Disorders in Public Mental Health Settings

Organizational capacity and readiness constraints impede the delivery of medication treatment for alcohol use disorder in a large mental health system.

Jun 23, 2021
Journal Article

Concentration of Patient Care Among Buprenorphine-Prescribing Clinicians in the U.S.

Drawing on national retail pharmacy data, researchers identified and categorized clinicians who prescribed buprenorphine for OUD at least once between January 2017 and December 2018.

Jun 10, 2021

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RAND Topic:
Substance Use

Topic Synonyms:
Drug Use

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