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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Illicit drug use

Results from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables
Provides data on use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, trends in substance use disorder and mental health, and access to treatment for youth 12-17 and adults. Features statistics for a variety of demographic and geographic characteristics.
Date: 09/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Overdose Deaths Related to Fentanyl and Its Analogs — Ohio, January-February 2017
Reports findings from a study of 281 unintentional overdose fatalities in 25 Ohio counties from January-February 2017, checking for the presence of fentanyl analogs, opioids, and other drugs. Includes demographic and drug data by type of county, including data for rural and Appalachian counties.
Additional links: Errata
Author(s): Raminta Daniulaityte, Matthew P. Juhascik, Kraig E. Strayer, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 66(34), 904-908
Date: 09/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Heartache, Pain, and Hope: Rural Communities, Older People, and the Opioid Crisis: An Introduction for Funders
Provides an overview of the opioid crisis and its impact on the lives of older adults. Addresses both opioid use by older adults and addiction within older adults' families. Identifies solutions being implemented by governments, communities, healthcare providers, and funders to address these concerns. Includes policy recommendations.
Date: 08/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Grantmakers In Aging
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A Guide to Establishing Syringe Services Programs in Rural, At-Risk Areas
Describes the basics of syringe services programs, identifies the need for them in at-risk rural communities, and provides guidance on considerations when establishing programs. Includes examples of syringe services programs in Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, and North Carolina. Also covers information about syringe services-related regulations and laws in select locations.
Author(s): Regina La Belle
Date: 07/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Comer Family Foundation
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Patient Residence Characteristics of Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits Nationally and by State, 2014
Provides data on opioid-related hospital inpatient stays and emergency department (ED) visits from 2005 to 2014. Includes data by location of patient residence for metropolitan and rural areas. Identifies states where the highest rates of opioid-related inpatient stays and ED visits are in rural areas. Also provides data by community-level income.
Author(s): Audrey J. Weiss, Molly K. Bailey, Lauren O'Malley, et al.
Date: 07/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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SLV N.E.E.D. (Naloxone - Education - Empowerment - Distribution)
Video featuring the San Luis Valley N.E.E.D. (Naloxone - Education - Empowerment - Distribution) program, which provides opioid-related education to healthcare providers and the community, as well as a naloxone distribution program and naloxone training for first responders in six rural Colorado counties.
Date: 07/2017
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic: Balancing Societal and Individual Benefits and Risks of Prescription Opioid Use
Report looks at the current opioid epidemic in the U.S. Explores options for balancing chronic pain management while reducing the occurrence of addiction and misuse. Presents recommendations for treating overdoses and reducing demand for prescription, as well as illicit, opioids.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Committee on Pain Management and Regulatory Strategies to Address Prescription Opioid Abuse
Date: 07/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Changes in the Supply of Physicians with a DEA DATA Waiver to Prescribe Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder
Data brief describing changes in access to waivered physicians from 2012 to 2016. Features a county-level map and statistics with breakdowns by urban areas and three levels of rural areas.
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, Cynthia Coulthard, Eric H. Larson
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Heroin, Methamphetamine Use and Prescription Drug Abuse in Kentucky
Results of the 2016 survey from the Kentucky Health Issues Poll concerning the impact of drug abuse on respondents' family and friends. Includes breakdowns by rural, urban, and suburban counties.
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, Interact for Health
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Promising Practice: Virginia SORH Taking Aim at Opioid Overdose
Illustrates how the Virginia State Office of Rural Health (VA SORH) and its partners are focusing their attention on the opioid epidemic in rural areas of the state by expanding treatment, and training lay rescuers to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose and administer naloxone when necessary.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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