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Substance Abuse

RAND's long and diverse history of research on substance abuse includes working with community leaders and public officials to develop more effective solutions. View all Substance Abuse Documents Available Online or find general information at Reports and Bookstore.

More »Featured Research

Teens Who Work Are More Likely to Smoke — Jan. 15, 2008

An analysis of substance use among teens in the 10th grade found a strong association between working for pay and smoking. Even after adjusting for other factors that influence teen smoking behavior, the study found a clear link between the amount of time teenagers worked and their current use of tobacco.

Full DocumentAbstract

Community Policing and Violence Prevention in Oakland — Jan. 8, 2008

An assessment of the first-year progress of community-policing and violence-prevention programs in Oakland funded by Measure Y found that implementation of community policing has been delayed, but violence-prevention programs have been implemented as planned.

Full Document

More »Featured Project

Looking Back on 25 years of Project ALERT — Apr. 12, 2007

25 years ago this year, Donald Hubbs, President of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, asked RAND to address the looming crisis of adolescent drug use. RAND researcher Phyllis Ellickson's ensuing work made her a pioneer in the field of prevention science.

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View All »Related News & Commentary

March 12, 2008: What Research Tells Us About the Reasonableness of the Current Priorities of National Drug Control, By Rosalie Liccardo Pacula

May 3, 2007: RAND Study Finds Alcohol Advertising and Marketing Are Associated with Adolescent Drinking

March 1, 2007: Mental Health Courts Have the Potential to Save Taxpayers Money, RAND Study for CSG Justice Center Finds

June 16, 2006: Help for Homeless Women, By Suzanne L. Wenzel (Washingtonpost.com)

View All »Featured Reports

Just Cause or Just Because? Prosecution and Plea-Bargaining Resulting in Prison Sentences on Low-Level Drug Charges in California and Arizona Arizona and California have passed ballot initiatives that were expected to divert minor, nonviolent drug offenders from incarceration to treatment. But what are the characteristics of imprisoned low-level drug offenders? Full Document

How Goes the "War on Drugs"? An Assessment of U.S. Drug Problems and Policy Presents a concise, accessible, objective view of where the United States has been, now stands, and is going in the future in its long "war on drugs". The authors assess the success of drug policies to date and review possible reasons why they have not been more successful. Full Document