Drug overdose deaths continue to surge in the United States, largely driven by the opioid crisis. A new RAND analysis sheds light on who is most affected.
The study shows that, for people with no college education, the overdose death rate increased from 12 deaths per 100,000 people in 2000, to 82 deaths per 100,000 in 2021. Over a shorter period—from 2018 to 2021—overdose deaths nearly doubled among those without a high school diploma.
Lower educational attainment has historically been associated with drug use and overdose deaths. But these findings suggest that two recent developments—the emergence of fentanyl in street drugs and the COVID-19 pandemic—may have exacerbated this long-standing health disparity.
Understanding who is most affected by overdose deaths provides critical information about how resources, such as access to treatment and preventive medicine like naloxone, should be more effectively allocated.
In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, many Western media outlets and policymakers have declared that Ukraine is winning the information war. But according to a new RAND report, this may be oversimplifying the issue. The authors find that the effectiveness of each country's influence campaigns depends on context and target audience. For example, campaigns conducted by both Ukraine and Russia may have struggled to overcome the deeply held beliefs of their adversary's audiences, who may be resistant to new information that contradicts their views. Read more »
Former Chinese leader Mao Zedong once described China and North Korea as being “as close as lips and teeth.” Despite this history, says RAND's Bruce Bennett, there has been considerable friction between the two countries over the years. Looking ahead, Beijing may determine that growing threats from Pyongyang will destabilize Northeast Asia. And that assessment could lead to key differences between Chinese and North Korean objectives. Read more »
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