Given the severity of the opioid crisis, it is important to evaluate tools and approaches that could reduce its impact, even those that may be controversial. Researchers examine two options for addressing opioid-related harms that are implemented in other countries but not in the U.S.: heroin-assisted treatment (HAT) and supervised consumption sites (SCS). Read more »
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.
As the next round of states debate cannabis legalization, they would do well to contemplate allowing state governments to control the wholesale prices and linking the price of cannabis to its potency.
Treatment for opioid addiction and other substance use disorders often exists apart from primary care. It's also difficult to access and under-resourced. In response to these challenges, RAND's Katherine Watkins developed an innovative approach to addiction treatment through primary care settings.
