Quarterly insights from the RAND Drug Policy Research Center

Launching RAND's New Initiative: Opioids Uncharted

RAND launched an initiative to map the underexplored consequences of America's opioid crisis—and discover big-picture solutions. Read more »

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Kicking off the 30th Anniversary of the DPRC

In 1989, RAND founded a new Drug Policy Research Center to provide rigorous, nonpartisan research to inform the debate on how to best address drug problems in the U.S. and abroad. Thirty years later, the center continues to do what it was created to do: improve our understanding of substance use and assess the consequences of an expanding range of drug policies and interventions around the world.

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What Will the Opioid Crisis Look Like in Five Years?

Evidence suggests that once a synthetic opioid like fentanyl becomes dominant in a drug market, it stays that way. With that in mind, the United States should prepare and learn from the experiences of other countries.

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Teaching Skills to Reduce DUI Recidivism

The RE-thinking Avenues for Change (REACH) program is a cognitive behavioral therapy protocol developed to prevent drinking and driving after a first-time driving under the influence (DUI) offense.

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Policies That Punish Pregnant Women for Substance Use Don't Help Mother or Baby

About half of all U.S. states now have policies that criminalize substance use during pregnancy, consider it grounds for civil commitment, or consider it child abuse or neglect. But research suggests that punitive policies aren't beneficial for infants or their mothers.

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Approaching the U.S. Opioid Crisis as an Ecosystem

Policymakers should think of the opioid crisis as an ecosystem and consider how its many parts interact—especially in unexpected ways. A broader view of the crisis will help those confronting it better prepare for the challenges ahead.

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