Special Issue: Mental Health and Substance Use Challenges

Starting in 2015, states could apply for section 1115 substance use disorder (SUD) waivers to strengthen their continuum of care for treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). More

See all articles in the special issue, Mental Health and Substance Use Challenges Facing the United States: What Can State Policymakers… More

The specific nontobacco e-cigarette flavors used by US youth who exclusively vape e-cigarettes compared with youth who engage in poly-tobacco or poly-substance use can help identify the populations most likely to be impacted by e-cigarette flavor policies. More

State medical cannabis laws, currently in place in 39 states and Washington, DC, provide an avenue for therapeutic use of cannabis to manage chronic noncancer pain stemming from conditions such as arthritis and low back pain. More

In the United States, substance use disorder (SUD) is a significant public health and public safety challenge. Up to two-thirds of individuals who are incarcerated meet SUD criteria, compared with 16.7% of the general population. More

Alcohol is a causal factor in more than 200 disease and injury conditions in the human body. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define excessive drinking as binge drinking (4 or more drinks for women, 5 or more for men on one occasion in the past month), heavy drinking (8 or more drinks for women, 15 or more for men in a week), and any drinking during pregnancy or by persons younger than age 21 years. More

Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) are an effective legal tool for reducing firearm suicide by temporarily removing access to firearms for certain individuals who exhibit dangerous behavior. Unlike most state laws restricting access to firearms based on status, ERPOs are predicated on the assessment of future risk of harm to self or other, as determined by civil court file finding. More

The US overdose crisis is one of the most severe and devastating public health problems of the 21st century. Since 1999, more than one million Americans have lost their lives to accidental drug overdose. More

The United States continues to experience a nearly unprecedented level of drug-related health harms, with over 105,000 Americans dying of overdose in 2023 alone. Although overall overdose deaths declined slightly from 2022 to 2023, rates for Black people continued to rise. Stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine are increasingly involved in overdose deaths, and xylazine and other contaminants continue to be prevalent in the illicit drug supply. More

Pregnant and postpartum people who use drugs (PWUDs) live at the intersection of two of the gravest public health crises currently facing the United States: epidemics of (1) maternal morbidity and mortality, and (2) substance-related harms. More