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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.

Blog

Conversations at RAND: A Sobering Look at the Opioid Epidemic

May 13, 2016

Opioid overdoses were the greatest cause of accidental death in America in 2014. A panel discussion at RAND addressed the epidemic, including societal attitudes toward pain and addiction, poor understanding of the mechanics of addiction itself, economic drivers, legal responses, and treatment approaches.
Project

Can the 24/7 Sobriety Program Reduce Problem Drinking and Improve Public Health?

Nov 15, 2012

The 24/7 Sobriety Program requires those arrested for or convicted of alcohol-related offenses to take twice-a-day breathalyzer tests or wear a continuous alcohol monitoring bracelet. Those who fail or skip their tests are immediately subject to swift, certain but modest sanctions—typically a day or two in jail.

Explore Substance Use

Journal Article

Journal Article

Gender- and Age-Varying Associations of Sensation Seeking and Substance Use Across Young Adulthood

Sensation seeking is a major risk risk factor associated with binge drinking and marijuana use for women but not men.

Jul 6, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Healthcare Provider Counseling to Quit Smoking and Patient Desire to Quit: The Role of Negative Smoking Outcome Expectancies

The time devoted to counseling patients about smoking should include assistance to quit, such as recommending a product, prescription or program, and incorporate techniques to elicit patients' expectations of smoking.

Jul 3, 2018
Research Brief

Consider a Range of Policy Areas to Solve Opioid Crisis

Many thoughtful policies have been implemented to reduce access to opioids and enhance treatment for addiction. But policies targeting one part of the system can have unintended effects on another. To combat the crisis, decisionmakers will need to weigh potential policy outcomes across the entire opioid ecosystem.

Jun 29, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Perceived Need and Receipt of Behavioral Health Services at Drop-In Centers Among Homeless Youth

This survey of 273 homeless youth indicates that, despite one-third meeting criteria for behavioral health problems such as PTSD, depression, or substance use problems, only about half of those meeting criteria reported a need for services.

Jun 29, 2018
Journal Article

Exposure to the Tobacco Power Wall Increases Adolescents' Willingness to Use E-cigarettes in the Future

Exposure to the tobacco power wall in retail settings like convenience stores may increase adolescents' willingness to try e-cigarettes, much like other tobacco products.

Jun 28, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

A Population-Based Examination of Trends and Disparities in Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders Among Medicaid Enrollees

The number of Medicaid recipients receiving medication to treat opioid abuse increased sharply in the years after approval of a new drug, but the increase was smaller in poorer counties & areas with larger populations of black and Hispanic residents.

Jun 27, 2018
News Release

Use of Medication Therapy to Treat Opioid Abuse Among Medicaid Recipients Increased After Approval of New Drug

The number of Medicaid recipients receiving medication to treat opioid abuse increased sharply in the years after approval of buprenorphine, but the increase was smaller in poorer counties and areas with larger populations of black and Hispanic residents.

Jun 25, 2018
Project

Survey Measures Health and Well-Being of U.S. Service Members

The DoD's Health Related Behaviors Survey asks questions about health-related issues that can affect force readiness or the ability to meet the demands of military life. It's been fielded for more than 30 years. About 17,000 service members participated in the latest survey.

Jun 21, 2018
Infographic

Infographic

Are They Living Healthy? How Well Are Soldiers Taking Care of Themselves

The 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey sought information on the health, health-related behaviors, and well-being of active-duty service members. This infographic reports key findings across the Army.

Jun 21, 2018
Research Brief

Findings of the Health Related Behaviors Survey

The 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey collected information on the health, health-related behaviors, and well-being of active-duty service members. A summary lists the key findings by topic, such as substance use or mental health, and describes policy implications.

Jun 21, 2018
Infographic

Infographic

Are They Living Healthy? How Well Are Marines Taking Care of Themselves

The 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey sought information on the health, health-related behaviors, and well-being of active-duty service members. This infographic reports key findings across the Marine Corps.

Jun 21, 2018
Research Brief

Deployment Experiences and Health Among U.S. Active-Duty Service Members

The 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey asked active-duty service members about the frequency and duration of deployments, their levels of exposure to combat-related experiences, the prevalence of deployment-related injuries and substance use, and deployment-related mental and physical health.

Jun 21, 2018
Infographic

Infographic

Are They Living Healthy? How Well Are Service Members Taking Care of Themselves

The 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey sought information on the health, health-related behaviors, and well-being of active-duty service members. This infographic reports key findings across the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard.

Jun 21, 2018
Infographic

Infographic

Are They Living Healthy? How Well Are Sailors Taking Care of Themselves

The 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey sought information on the health, health-related behaviors, and well-being of active-duty service members. This infographic reports key findings across the Navy.

Jun 21, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Persistence of Shifts in Beliefs Associated With Exposure to Alcohol Advertising Among Adolescents

Youths are exposed to an average of three alcohol ads per day-and black and Hispanic youths' exposure is roughly double that of white youths—and the effect of a single exposure can last up to two days.

Jun 21, 2018
Report

How Healthy Are U.S. Service Members?

The DoD's Health Related Behaviors Survey asks about health and well-being issues that can affect force readiness. Results from the 2015 survey suggest that certain groups of service members warrant targeted intervention to prevent negative health outcomes and improve behaviors.

Jun 21, 2018
Research Brief

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

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.

Jun 21, 2018
Infographic

Infographic

Are They Living Healthy? How Well Are Airmen Taking Care of Themselves

The 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey sought information on the health, health-related behaviors, and well-being of active-duty service members. This infographic reports key findings across the Air Force.

Jun 21, 2018
Infographic

Infographic

Are They Living Healthy? How Well Are Coast Guardsmen Taking Care of Themselves

The 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey sought information on the health, health-related behaviors, and well-being of active-duty service members. This infographic reports key findings across the Coast Guard.

Jun 21, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Planting the Seed for Marijuana Use: Changes in Exposure to Medical Marijuana Advertising and Subsequent Adolescent Marijuana Use, Cognitions, and Consequences Over Seven Years

Regulations on medical marijuana (MM) advertising—similar to those for tobacco and alcohol—may mitigate negative consequences of MM on adolescents.

Jun 20, 2018

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RAND Topic:
Substance Use

Topic Synonyms:
Drug Use