Below are the most recent reports and articles from the RAND Drug Policy Research Center. Please visit our RAND Topics pages for a complete research archive on these and other drug policy-related research topics.
RAND Topic Pages: Drug Policies and TrendsIt is critical to understand the metabolic effects of antipsychotic drugs that are used for prolonged periods of time in the treatment of schizophrenia, as well as other serious mental illnesses, often at higher-than-recommended doses.
The recent increase in heroin deaths is primarily fueled by the reformulation of OxyContin.
In dealing with the opioid crisis, supply-side policies that consider the full market (both prescription opioids as well as heroin and fentanyl), if coupled with effective treatment, are likely to be the most effective.
Access to external funding and staff support are two important factors for the sustainability of substance use disorder treatment provision within primary care clinics.
Culturally-tailored smoking prevention programs that focus on different aspects of antisocial deviance -- e.g., risk taking vs rule breaking -- may help reduce teen smoking rates.
Taking periodic breaks from marijuana use or avoiding using marijuana before work or school may be important protective strategies for young veterans who choose to use marijuana to cope with symptoms of PTSD.
Adolescents were who used both alcohol and marijuana or alcohol alone were more likely than others to report having both two or more sexual partners and condomless sex in the past month.
To date, the stigma associated with opioid dependence has had the untoward effect of discouraging treatment-seeking behavior before the occurrence of an adverse event.
The production and dissemination of sound evidence is a vital part of policy reform regarding the legalization of marijuana.
An intervention to improve mental health and communication among military spouses worried about their partners' drinking reduced depression more effectively for spouses who also drank heavily.
Veterans who received General and Other Than Honorable discharges were significantly more likely to screen positive for generalized anxiety disorder, depression, PTSD, and hazardous alcohol use than those who received an Honorable discharge.
Three possible measures for quality of care may help reduce deaths from opioid addiction by one-third.
Two quality measures – receipt of psychotherapy and psychosocial treatment – were associated with patient perceptions of their own improvement.
After recreational marijuana laws were passed, perceived harm associated with marijuana use decreased among students in 8th and 10th grades in Washington state and use increased; neither perception nor use changed in Colorado after legalization.
Some perceived barriers to implementing the continuum of care for opioid and alcohol use disorders in primary care clinics persist over time, but most barriers decreased.
Decreasing the reliance of VA providers on opioid prescribing for chronic pain requires local availability of nonpharmacologic pain therapies (NPTs) as well as provider efficacy in prescribing NPTs.
Interventions that target risky drinking behavior among college students studying abroad are still in their infancy.
Individuals with a first time DUI offense found cognitive behavioral therapy, adapted for a DUI setting, acceptable.
Among adults with opioid and alcohol use disorders, a collaborative care intervention—which integrates behavioral health care into primary care—increased both access to treatment and abstinence.
Young adult veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms may use drinking to cope, and their perceived stigma regarding substance abuse help may be a barrier to treatment.
