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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.
Journal Article

Tobacco Power Wall Exposure Increases Adolescents' Willingness to Try E-Cigarettes

Jun 28, 2018

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

Explore Substance Use

Report

Report

Early reflections on the approach to preventing and responding to violent and antisocial behavior at the 2018 World Cup in Russia

This case study examines the available evidence on violent and antisocial behaviour during the 2018 World Cup; policing tactics and intelligence-sharing; sale and consumption of alcohol; and the event organisation.

Dec 11, 2018
Report

Report

Violent and antisocial behaviour at football events and strategies to prevent and respond to these behaviours: Final synthesis report

This study gathers and critically assesses the available evidence into the prevalence, nature and causes of violence and disorder at other major sporting events, and to draw on promising practices to prevent and respond to these harms.

Dec 11, 2018
Report

Report

Alcohol and international football tournaments

This case study reviews the available evidence on the connection between alcohol and international football.

Dec 11, 2018
Report

Report

What factors contributed to the different levels of disorder witnessed in Marseille and Lille during the Euros 2016 UEFA European Championship?

This case study explores the factors that may have contributed to the different outcomes in crowd behaviour and public safety witnessed in Marseille and Lille during the 2016 UEFA European Championship.

Dec 11, 2018
News Release

News Release

Providing Supervised Medical-Grade Heroin to Heavy Users Can Reduce Harms; Approach Merits Pilot Study in U.S.

Providing supervised access to medical-grade heroin to people whose use continues after trying multiple traditional treatments has been successful in other countries, and should be piloted and studied in the United States.

Dec 6, 2018
Report

Considering Heroin-Assisted Treatment and Supervised Drug Consumption Sites in America

Increasing access to medications like methadone and buprenorphine is essential to addressing the U.S. opioid crisis. But the severity of the crisis warrants examining additional interventions. What does the evidence suggest about heroin-assisted treatment and supervised consumption sites? And what are some of the issues associated with implementing them in the United States?

Dec 6, 2018
Commentary

Navigating Cannabis Legalization 2.0

As the next round of states debate marijuana legalization, they would do well to contemplate allowing state governments to control the wholesale prices and linking the price of cannabis to its potency.

Dec 4, 2018
Journal Article

Supply-Side Drug Policy in the Presence of Substitutes: Evidence from the Introduction of Abuse-Deterrent Opioids

The recent increase in heroin deaths is primarily fueled by the reformulation of OxyContin.

Oct 31, 2018
Report

Report

Effects of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opioid Use Disorder on Functional Outcomes: A Systematic Review

This systematic review synthesizes evidence on the effects of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder on functional outcomes, including cognitive, physical, occupational, social/behavioral, and neurological function.

Oct 30, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Behavioral Health of Gulf Coast Residents 6 Years After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: The Role of Trauma History

The study emphasizes the importance of measuring and considering not only the index event in disaster-related mental health work, but also other potentially traumatic exposures.

Oct 24, 2018
Journal Article

Data Sources and Data-Linking Strategies to Support Research to Address the Opioid Crisis: Final Report

This report highlights key research questions and identifies opportunities to use existing data sources and implement data-linking strategies that can support the HHS five point strategy to combat the opioid crisis.

Oct 16, 2018
Commentary

In Opioid Policy, One Size Does Not Fit All

To solve America's opioid crisis, policymakers will need to view the epidemic as an “ecosystem,” where policies that target only one part of the problem can have unintended consequences.

Oct 12, 2018
Journal Article

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

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.

Oct 4, 2018
News Release

News Release

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

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.

Oct 2, 2018
News Release

New Curriculum Offered to Teach Opioid Risks to Middle School Students

A new and free science-based curriculum designed to teach adolescents about the risks of opioids has been released by Project ALERT, a national evidence-based drug education program created and managed by RAND.

Sep 24, 2018
Announcement

Announcement

19th U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy Elected to RAND Board of Trustees

Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, 19th Surgeon General of the United States, has been elected to the RAND Corporation Board of Trustees.

Sep 14, 2018
Journal Article

Nearly Thirty Percent of Physicians' Opioid Prescriptions Lack a Pain Diagnosis

Medical use of opioids has increased dramatically over the past two decades, far exceeding increases in the prevalence of pain. No pain diagnosis was recorded at 28.5 percent of physician visits in which an opioid was prescribed.

Sep 14, 2018
Announcement

NIH Funds RAND Corporation Opioid Research Center Dedicated to Policies for Addressing the National Crisis

A research center dedicated to identifying effective policies for combating the nation's opioid epidemic has been established at the RAND Corporation, supported by a $7.2 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a component of the National Institutes of Health.

Sep 10, 2018
Multimedia

Evolution of the U.S. Overdose Crisis

An overview of testimony by Bryce Pardo presented before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations on September 6, 2018.

Sep 6, 2018
Testimony

China's Role in the U.S. Synthetic Opioid Market

Illicitly sourced synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, are involved in most of today's overdose deaths. Though most of these substances appear to come from China, many dimensions of this problem are unclear. Understanding the shifting supply of opioids is critical to addressing the overdose crisis.

Sep 6, 2018

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RAND Topic:
Substance Use

Topic Synonyms:
Drug Use