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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

How High: Differences in the Developments of Cannabis Markets in Two Legalized States

This paper is the first to examine cannabis market data from Washington alongside that from Oregon, two states that are similar in regard to legalizing retail sales of cannabis but differ in terms of their regulatory frameworks.

Apr 13, 2021
Journal Article

Acknowledging and Monitoring the Costs of Seriously Regulating Cannabis

Wilkins & Rychert highlight challenges to achieving the Cannabis Legalization and Control Bill's objectives of reducing cannabis use and harms.

Apr 13, 2021
Journal Article

Capsule Commentary for Azcarate Et Al., Medical Reasons for Marijuana Use, Forms of Use, and Patient Perception of Physician Attitudes Among the US Population

Commentary on an article by Azcarate et al., assessing U.S. adults' motivations for and perceived physician attitudes towards medical cannabis use.

Apr 13, 2021
Journal Article

Prescribers and Naloxone Pharmacy Claims

Commentary on an article by Truong, Patil, and Rich, on the benefits and dangers of naloxone prescriptions.

Apr 13, 2021
Report

Outcome Evaluation of the National Model for Liaison and Diversion

An outcome evaluation of the National Model for Liaison and Diversion scheme in England, which identifies and supports people in the criminal justice system with health issues and vulnerabilities, using a novel, large-scale linked data set.

Apr 12, 2021
Research Brief

Findings from the national evaluation of Liaison and Diversion services in England

An outcome evaluation of the National Model for Liaison and Diversion scheme in England, which identifies and supports people in the criminal justice system with health issues and vulnerabilities, using a novel, large-scale linked data set.

Apr 12, 2021
News Release

Liaison and Diversion Services Can Help Vulnerable People in the Criminal Justice System

An NHS England programme aimed at supporting vulnerable people in the criminal justice system may significantly reduce the chances of those with mental and other health needs from receiving custodial sentences.

Apr 12, 2021
Report

Geographic Barriers to Behavioral Health Care May Put Remote Service Members at Risk

Remote service members with PTSD, depression, or substance use disorder face challenges accessing high-quality behavioral health care through the Military Health System. They see primary care and private-sector providers for such care and are less likely to receive psychotherapy.

Mar 31, 2021
News Release

Geographic Barriers to Behavioral Health Care May Put Remote Service Members at Risk

Remote service members may face challenges accessing and receiving high-quality behavioral health care through the Military Health System, putting them at a greater risk for negative outcomes related to behavioral health issues.

Mar 31, 2021
Journal Article

Does Marijuana Legalization Affect Work Capacity? Evidence from Workers' Compensation Benefits

We study the effect of state recreational marijuana laws on workers' compensation benefit receipt among adults 40–62 years old.

Mar 23, 2021
Journal Article

The Evolving Consequences of OxyContin Reformulation on Drug Overdoses

In this paper, we find that over a longer time horizon, OxyContin reformulation stimulated illicit drug markets to grow and evolve.

Mar 17, 2021
Journal Article

Multiplying the Impact of Opioid Settlement Funds by Investing in Primary Prevention

In this Perspective, we describe three strategies hospitals can use to multiply the reach of their opioid settlement funding by addressing root causes of opioid use through primary prevention.

Mar 17, 2021
Report

An Empirical Assessment of the U.S. Army's Enlistment Waiver Policies: An Examination in Light of Emerging Societal Trends in Behavioral Health and the Legalization of Marijuana

This report documents an analysis of the performance of U.S. Army recruits who receive waivers, as well as those with a documented history of marijuana, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, or anxiety.

Mar 11, 2021
Journal Article

Is the Rise in Illicit Opioids Affecting Labor Supply and Disability Claiming Rates?

Researchers examined how increased use of illicit opioids such as heroin and fentanyl affected labor market participation and claims for disability insurance.

Mar 10, 2021
Journal Article

Heroin Use Cannot Be Measured Adequately with a General Population Survey

Here we explore the important case of using General Population Surveys to estimate frequent heroin use.

Mar 5, 2021
Journal Article

Racial/ethnic Differences in Prescription Opioid Misuse and Heroin Use Among a National Sample, 1999–2018

We compared relative prevalences across 6 racial/ethnic groups for prescription opioid misuse analyses and 4 racial/ethnic groups for heroin analyses.

Feb 19, 2021
Journal Article

Individual and Community Factors Associated with Naloxone Co-prescribing Among Long-term Opioid Patients: A Retrospective Analysis

This retrospective analysis examines naloxone co-prescribing in the general population and assess how co-prescribing varies by individual and community characteristics.

Feb 19, 2021
Journal Article

Patient, Prescriber, and Community Factors Associated with Filled Naloxone Prescriptions Among Patients Receiving Buprenorphine 2017–18

This retrospective analysis examines filled naloxone prescriptions among patients receiving buprenorphine treatment and assesses how rates of filled naloxone prescriptions varies by patient, prescriber, and community characteristics.

Feb 19, 2021
Multimedia

The Opioid Crisis and State & Federal Policies: It’s More Complicated Than You Think

In this video, Bradley Stein presents an exploration of recent federal and state policies related to the opioid crisis and the sometimes unanticipated consequences.

Feb 19, 2021
Journal Article

Mental Health, Physical Health, and Cultural Characteristics Among American Indians/Alaska Natives Seeking Substance Use Treatment in an Urban Setting: A Descriptive Study

We analyze substance use, AI/AN cultural identity and involvement, physical health and cognitive functioning, and mental health symptoms among 63 AI/AN adults seeking substance use treatment within an urban area in California.

Feb 18, 2021

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RAND Topic:
Substance Use

Topic Synonyms:
Drug Use

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