Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Substance use and misuse
Co-Creating and Disseminating Substance Use and Vaping Educational Videos, Question Prompt Lists, and Other Resources in Partnership with Community Organizations and Youth in Western North Carolina
Describes the development of and evaluates the social media reach of a youth empowerment program addressing substance use in rural North Carolina. Discusses the inclusion of youth in the development process.
Author(s): Betsy Sleath, Abena A. Adjei, Jeremy Lowery, et al.
Citation: PEC Innovation, 7
Date: 12/2025
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Describes the development of and evaluates the social media reach of a youth empowerment program addressing substance use in rural North Carolina. Discusses the inclusion of youth in the development process.
Author(s): Betsy Sleath, Abena A. Adjei, Jeremy Lowery, et al.
Citation: PEC Innovation, 7
Date: 12/2025
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Cost of Implementing Evidence-Based Practices to Reduce Opioid Overdose Fatalities in New York State Communities
Presents a study on the cost of implementing an intervention to deploy opioid education, naloxone distribution, and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural and urban locations in New York. Evaluates data from two time periods, or waves, from January 2020 to June 2022 and July 2022 to December 2023.
Author(s): Jazmine M. Li, Dawn Gruss, Timothy Hunt, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 20, 77
Date: 10/2025
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Presents a study on the cost of implementing an intervention to deploy opioid education, naloxone distribution, and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural and urban locations in New York. Evaluates data from two time periods, or waves, from January 2020 to June 2022 and July 2022 to December 2023.
Author(s): Jazmine M. Li, Dawn Gruss, Timothy Hunt, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 20, 77
Date: 10/2025
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Geographic and Socioeconomic Landscape of Veterans With Head and Neck Cancer
Explores the geographic and socioeconomic factors that correlate with the higher rates and worse outcomes for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas among veterans compared to civilians. Breaks down data by socioeconomic factors, such as marital status, unemployment, and service connection, among other factors, as well as rurality, travel distance, and drive time.
Author(s): Kristen L. Zayan, Jennifer L. McCoy, Monique Y. Boudreaux-Kelly, et al.
Citation: Head & Neck, 47(10), 2845-2855
Date: 10/2025
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Explores the geographic and socioeconomic factors that correlate with the higher rates and worse outcomes for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas among veterans compared to civilians. Breaks down data by socioeconomic factors, such as marital status, unemployment, and service connection, among other factors, as well as rurality, travel distance, and drive time.
Author(s): Kristen L. Zayan, Jennifer L. McCoy, Monique Y. Boudreaux-Kelly, et al.
Citation: Head & Neck, 47(10), 2845-2855
Date: 10/2025
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Examining Trends in Polydrug Overdose Deaths Across Rural Midwest Counties in the United States, 2022 Through 2024
Highlights a study examining the presence of the drug xylazine in postmortem toxicology of drug overdose deaths in rural Minnesota. Breaks down data by county, drugs co-occurring with xylazine, and demographic characteristics of the deceased, among other measures.
Author(s): Bradley R. Ray, Shane Sheets, Patti Constant, et al.
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 275, 112832
Date: 10/2025
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Highlights a study examining the presence of the drug xylazine in postmortem toxicology of drug overdose deaths in rural Minnesota. Breaks down data by county, drugs co-occurring with xylazine, and demographic characteristics of the deceased, among other measures.
Author(s): Bradley R. Ray, Shane Sheets, Patti Constant, et al.
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 275, 112832
Date: 10/2025
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Implementing a Mobile Clinic for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in an Urban and Rural Context
Highlights a study on the efficacy of the mobile clinic model at providing opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment in rural and urban areas. Compares and evaluates mobile OUD treatment programs in Pittsburgh, PA and rural Robeson County, NC. Evaluates programs on the basis of community engagement, cost, and partnerships with local pharmacies, among other measures.
Author(s): Orrin D. Ware, Divya Venkat, Robyn Jordan, et al.
Citation: Substance Use & Addiction Journal, 46(4), 799–805
Date: 10/2025
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Highlights a study on the efficacy of the mobile clinic model at providing opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment in rural and urban areas. Compares and evaluates mobile OUD treatment programs in Pittsburgh, PA and rural Robeson County, NC. Evaluates programs on the basis of community engagement, cost, and partnerships with local pharmacies, among other measures.
Author(s): Orrin D. Ware, Divya Venkat, Robyn Jordan, et al.
Citation: Substance Use & Addiction Journal, 46(4), 799–805
Date: 10/2025
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A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Tobacco 21 Policies and Youth Tobacco Use: Implications for Future Policy Research
Examines the impact of Tobacco 21 (T21) policies that raise the sales age of tobacco to 21 on youth smoking. Utilizes 24 completed studies to analyze T21 regulations on smoking behaviors of respondents aged 11 to 20. Discusses T21 impacts in rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Danyi Li, Shiyou Wu, Steve Sussman, Mary Ann Pentz
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 50, 101208
Date: 10/2025
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Examines the impact of Tobacco 21 (T21) policies that raise the sales age of tobacco to 21 on youth smoking. Utilizes 24 completed studies to analyze T21 regulations on smoking behaviors of respondents aged 11 to 20. Discusses T21 impacts in rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Danyi Li, Shiyou Wu, Steve Sussman, Mary Ann Pentz
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 50, 101208
Date: 10/2025
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Binge Alcohol Use in the Past Month
Report using 2022-2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data to highlight binge alcohol in the previous month use among adults and youth aged 12 to 17. Appendix includes demographic and geographic characteristics of survey participants including 5 levels of urbanization by county.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Report using 2022-2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data to highlight binge alcohol in the previous month use among adults and youth aged 12 to 17. Appendix includes demographic and geographic characteristics of survey participants including 5 levels of urbanization by county.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Award Recipients Generally Met All Core Activities and Benchmarks
Examines whether Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Expansion award recipients met the five required core activities and three proposed benchmarks between September 2019 and August 2022. Summarizes results of a performance audit of RCORP MAT Expansion award recipients, including site visits to each awardee. Appendix C covers the challenges and barriers award recipients faced while establishing or expanding their MAT programs.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Examines whether Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Expansion award recipients met the five required core activities and three proposed benchmarks between September 2019 and August 2022. Summarizes results of a performance audit of RCORP MAT Expansion award recipients, including site visits to each awardee. Appendix C covers the challenges and barriers award recipients faced while establishing or expanding their MAT programs.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Creation of a Telehealth Addiction Consultation Service at a Rural Hospital: A Case Study
Details the implementation and evaluation of the Community Addiction Consult (CAC) service, which facilitated medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment and provided other supports for hospital-based addiction care via telehealth consultations by community, non-hospital clinicians in rural Massachusetts. Highlights the significance of the CAC model as a support for improving access to hospital-based substance use disorder treatment in rural areas.
Author(s): Rachel Katz, Tiarra Fisher, Talia Singer-Clark, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 20, 76
Date: 09/2025
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Details the implementation and evaluation of the Community Addiction Consult (CAC) service, which facilitated medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment and provided other supports for hospital-based addiction care via telehealth consultations by community, non-hospital clinicians in rural Massachusetts. Highlights the significance of the CAC model as a support for improving access to hospital-based substance use disorder treatment in rural areas.
Author(s): Rachel Katz, Tiarra Fisher, Talia Singer-Clark, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 20, 76
Date: 09/2025
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Introducing Public Health Vending Machines in Rural Communities: Protocol for a Study Using a Community-Based Participatory Approach
Provides a study protocol focused on creating a community-engaged approach to implementing public health vending machines (PHVMs) that distribute naloxone in rural North Carolina. Discusses the need to engage people who have experienced substance use when developing public health interventions to prevent drug overdose.
Author(s): Meghan Guter, Lauren Harrell, Kathleen L Egan, Reese Hiatt, Lori Ann Eldridge
Citation: JMIR Research Protocols, 14
Date: 09/2025
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Provides a study protocol focused on creating a community-engaged approach to implementing public health vending machines (PHVMs) that distribute naloxone in rural North Carolina. Discusses the need to engage people who have experienced substance use when developing public health interventions to prevent drug overdose.
Author(s): Meghan Guter, Lauren Harrell, Kathleen L Egan, Reese Hiatt, Lori Ann Eldridge
Citation: JMIR Research Protocols, 14
Date: 09/2025
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