This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Illicit drug use

Cost-Effectiveness of Scaling Up HCV Prevention and Treatment in the United States for People Who Inject Drugs
Highlights the cost-effectiveness of combining medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and syringe-service programs (SSP) with hepatitis C (HCV) treatment for people who inject drugs. Compares services for patients in rural Perry County, KY; and urban San Francisco, CA.
Author(s): Carolina Barbosa, Hannah Fraser, Thomas J. Hoerger, et al.
Citation: Addiction, 114(12), 2267-2278
Date: 12/2020
view details
Medicare Fee-For-Service Beneficiaries with Opioid Use Disorder in 2018: Disparities in Prevalence by Beneficiary Characteristics
Examines the sociodemographic, Medicare eligibility, clinical, and geographic characteristics of Medicare beneficiaries with opioid use disorder (OUD). Identifies disparities in OUD prevalence among Medicare beneficiaries. Discusses opportunities to tailor policies and interventions to beneficiary groups with high OUD prevalence to ensure access to treatment.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
Addressing Opioid Overdose Deaths: The Vision for the HEALing Communities Study
Highlights a study on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ongoing HEALing Communities Study (HCS), which began in 2019 with the goal of reducing opioid overdose deaths by 40% over 3 years. Discusses the intersection of the two crises across the country and discusses the variations in rural and urban locations.
Author(s): Redonna K. Chandlera, Jennifer Villani, Thomas Clarke, et al.
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 217, 108329
Date: 12/2020
view details
Supporting Children and Families Affected by the Opioid Epidemic - Emerging Policy Considerations
Explores the effect of the opioid crisis on children and their families and makes policy recommendations. Breaks down rural and urban differences in opioid use and access to behavioral healthcare and discusses the policy implications of those differences.
Author(s): Laudan Y. Aron, Sarah Benatar, Rebecca Peters
Date: 11/2020
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
view details
Risky Substance Use Behaviors Among Adults Residing in Non-Metropolitan and Metropolitan Counties in the United States, 2017-2018
Compares the prevalence of risky substance use among adults living in rural and urban counties. Features statistics with breakdowns by use within the past year and within the past 30 days, for alcohol, tobacco, and 10 types of illicit drugs.
Author(s): Tyrone F. Borders, Michael D. Singleton, Katherine Youngen
Date: 11/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
view details
Substance Use among Rural and Urban Youth and Young Adults
Details substance use of youth aged 12-17 and young adults aged 18-25 in rural and urban areas. Looks specifically on use of alcohol, marijuana, illicit drugs, and the misuse of prescription pain relievers and compares usage trends in rural areas to those in urban areas.
Author(s): Jennifer Lenardson, Nathan Paluso, Erika Ziller
Date: 11/2020
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
view details
Risky Substance Use Behaviors Among Adolescents Residing in Non-Metropolitan and Metropolitan Counties in the United States, 2017-2018
Compares the prevalence of risky substance use among people ages 12-17 who are living in rural and urban counties. Features statistics with breakdowns by use within the past year and within the past 30 days, for alcohol, tobacco, and 10 types of illicit drugs.
Author(s): Tyrone F. Borders, Michael D. Singleton, Katherine Youngen
Date: 11/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
view details
Addressing Opioid Use Disorder among Rural Pregnant and Postpartum Women: A Study Protocol
Explores a study examining the rates of prenatal opioid use disorder and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome in rural areas. Study includes provider-level measurements such as patient retention, adoption of evidence-based practices, and attitude towards substance misuse, among others, and patient-level measurements such as substances used, co-occurring conditions, and birth outcomes, among others.
Author(s): M. Aryana Bryan, Marcela C. Smid, Melissa Cheng, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science and Clinical Practice, 15, 33
Date: 10/2020
view details
The American Opioid Epidemic in Special Populations: Five Examples
Report on the disproportionate impacts of the opioid crisis on populations, in the criminal justice system, rural residents, veterans, young adults, and individuals who inject drugs. Offers statistical data for each group and discussion of opioid use disorder and mortality, barriers to treatment, promising strategies to address treatment issues, and research and policy priorities. Section on rural populations offers data on drug overdose deaths, rates of opioid prescription, and the association between economic distress and opioid-involved deaths.
Author(s): Carlos Blanco, Mir M. Ali, Aaron Beswick, et al.
Date: 10/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
view details
Increase in Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Cocaine: United States, 2009–2018
Reports on trends in drug overdose deaths involving cocaine, with data by sex, age group, race and Hispanic origin, and concurrent involvement of opioids. Includes cocaine overdose death rate data for 2018 for urban and rural areas by Census region.
Author(s): Holly Hedegaard, Merianne Rose Spencer, Matthew F. Garnett
Date: 10/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details