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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Substance use and misuse

California Tobacco Facts and Figures 2025
Reports data on current use and trends in tobacco use and tobacco-related behaviors in California. Includes demographic breakdowns, including rural-urban comparisons, in addition to county-level data for select topics.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: California Department of Public Health
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Geographic Disparities by Rural-Urban Status and Drive Time to Care in Tobacco Treatment for COPD
Explores the potential relationship between the drive-time to tobacco dependence treatment (TDT) services and the development of COPD among smokers. Details distances of rural smokers to TDT services. Draws from Veterans Affairs data and breaks down data by demographic characteristics, treatment type, and rural versus urban location, among other measures.
Author(s): Arianne K. Baldomero, Anne C. Melzer, Ken M. Kunisaki, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(8), e2528898
Date: 08/2025
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Tobacco Product Use or Nicotine Vaping in the Past Month
Report discusses rates of tobacco and nicotine vaping use detailed in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from 2022, 2023, and 2024. Features breakdowns by demographics, years and rurality, among other measures.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Drug Overdose Deaths in Kentucky, 2019–2024: Are We Back to Pre-COVID-19 Levels?
Examines drug overdose deaths in Kentucky and the impact of COVID-19 on mortality rates. Utilizes 2019-2024 Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics data to analyze overdose mortality rates according to year, demographics, contributing drugs, and metro versus nonmetro location.
Author(s): Aaron P. Smith, Juan Lang, Carmen Canedo, et al.
Citation: Injury Epidemiology, 12, 51
Date: 08/2025
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Prescribed Medications for Patients with Amphetamine-Type Stimulant Use Disorder Seen in Rural-Serving Pacific Northwest Primary Care Clinics
Examines the frequency in which patients living in the rural Pacific Northwest with amphetamine-type stimulant use disorder (AT-StUD) received medications for AT-StUD in primary care clinics. Utilizes 2017-2021 electronic health record (EHR) data to analyze patients who have received prescriptions according to demographics, mental health status, and health behaviors.
Author(s): Megan J. Yerton, Connor J. McCabe, Matthew D. Iles-Shih, Judith I. Tsui, Kevin A. Hallgren
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 20, 67
Date: 08/2025
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Opportunities for Employers to Address the Opioid Epidemic: Results from a National Survey
Surveys 1,010 employees to learn their perspective on the Recovery-Ready Workplace (RRW) framework, a federally created opioid intervention for employers. Evaluates the implementation of the 4 areas addressed by RRW, noting areas for improvement related to Narcan access, stigma, and work arrangements that accommodate treatment.
Author(s): Gillian K. SteelFisher, Brian C. Castrucci, Mary G. Findling, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 3(8)
Date: 08/2025
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Risk & Protective Factors for Rural Youth Substance Use: A Report for the Rural Network
Examines youth substance use in rural areas and various risk and protective factors. Utilizes data from Washington State's Rural Network members to analyze substance use and discusses school-based, family-based, and community-based preventive factors.
Author(s): Ellie Jackson
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Network, WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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NSDUH (National Survey on Drug Use and Health) Detailed Tables - 2024
Explores 2024 survey data on use of prescription and illicit drugs, alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products, trends in substance use disorder (SUD) and mental illness, and access to treatment for youth and adults. Features statistics for a variety of demographic and geographic characteristics, including rural versus urban status.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Oregon by the Numbers - Key Measures for Oregon and Its Counties
Breaks down demographic and socioeconomic data in Oregon by county. Highlights data on various measures for each county such as food insecurity, unemployment rate, adult smoking, broadband access, and percent rural versus urban, among others.
Additional links: En Español
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Ford Family Foundation, Oregon State University Rural Studies Program
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Examining US Adolescent Cigarette Smoking Prevalence by Rurality and Gender, 2002–2019
Examines rural and urban prevalence of cigarette smoking among adolescents by sex, utilizing 2002-2019 U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health data. Analyzes changes over time and discusses rural-specific smoking disparities.
Author(s): Tyler G. Erath, Fang Fang Chen, Michael DeSarno, Stephen T. Higgins
Citation: Preventive Medicine, 108377
Date: 07/2025
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