Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas.
How States Can Boost Behavioral Health Services in Rural Communities
Explores ways state officials can utilize federal funds to increase mental health and substance use treatment for rural communities. Highlights strategies for increasing access to behavioral health services in rural communities that can be funded through the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program.
Author(s): Alexandra Duncan, Kristen Mizzi Angelone
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Pew Research Center
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Explores ways state officials can utilize federal funds to increase mental health and substance use treatment for rural communities. Highlights strategies for increasing access to behavioral health services in rural communities that can be funded through the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program.
Author(s): Alexandra Duncan, Kristen Mizzi Angelone
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Pew Research Center
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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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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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Best Practices for Implementing the Continuum of Crisis Services Under Medicaid and CHIP
Provides guidance for states to maintain a continuum of behavioral health crisis care for patients covered by Medicaid and CHIP. Details core elements of the continuum of crisis care and how Medicaid and CHIP function within that framework. Highlights considerations for rural communities.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Provides guidance for states to maintain a continuum of behavioral health crisis care for patients covered by Medicaid and CHIP. Details core elements of the continuum of crisis care and how Medicaid and CHIP function within that framework. Highlights considerations for rural communities.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year
Offers data on substance use disorder between 2022 and 2024. Includes break down of use for adults and adolescents between 12 and 17 by various demographic and geographic factors including 5 levels of urbanization.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Offers data on substance use disorder between 2022 and 2024. Includes break down of use for adults and adolescents between 12 and 17 by various demographic and geographic factors including 5 levels of urbanization.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Marijuana Use or Opioid Misuse in the Past Year
Highlights data on marijuana and opioid use between 2022 and 2024. Includes break down of use for adults and adolescents between 12 and 17 by various demographic and geographic factors including 5 levels of urbanization.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Highlights data on marijuana and opioid use between 2022 and 2024. Includes break down of use for adults and adolescents between 12 and 17 by various demographic and geographic factors including 5 levels of urbanization.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Telemedicine Buprenorphine Access For Incarcerated People: Lessons Learned From Maryland's Rural Jails
Explores the lessons learned form implementing a telemedicine-based buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder in rural Maryland jails. Highlights the challenges and opportunities expanding, establishing, and implementing buprenorphine treatment via tele-medicine. Draws conclusions for future interventions.
Author(s): Max Spaderna, Annabelle M. Belcher, Chris Welsh, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 44(9), 1131-1137
Date: 09/2025
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Explores the lessons learned form implementing a telemedicine-based buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder in rural Maryland jails. Highlights the challenges and opportunities expanding, establishing, and implementing buprenorphine treatment via tele-medicine. Draws conclusions for future interventions.
Author(s): Max Spaderna, Annabelle M. Belcher, Chris Welsh, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 44(9), 1131-1137
Date: 09/2025
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Modeling the Impact of Changing Drug Markets and Structural Determinants on HCV and/or HIV Transmission Among People Who Inject Drugs in the United States: A Rural and Urban Comparison
Details a study exploring the impact of changing patterns of drug use in rural and urban areas are affecting the rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV incidence among people who inject drugs (PWID). Compares rates of infection and drug use in San Diego, CA and rural Central and Northern, WI.
Author(s): Natasha K. Martin, Daniela Abramovitz, William H. Eger, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Drug Policy, 143, 104925
Date: 09/2025
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Details a study exploring the impact of changing patterns of drug use in rural and urban areas are affecting the rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV incidence among people who inject drugs (PWID). Compares rates of infection and drug use in San Diego, CA and rural Central and Northern, WI.
Author(s): Natasha K. Martin, Daniela Abramovitz, William H. Eger, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Drug Policy, 143, 104925
Date: 09/2025
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Treatment Initiations and Opioid Overdoses among Recently Incarcerated People after Adoption of the Take-Home Methadone Policy
Explores the effect flexible methadone policies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic had on opioid overdoses and treatment initiation and uptake among incarcerated people upon release. Highlights the effect this policy had on rural areas and communities that lack access to opioid treatment.
Author(s): Benjamin A. Barsky, Shapei Yan, Meredith B. Rosenthal
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 274, 112775
Date: 09/2025
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Explores the effect flexible methadone policies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic had on opioid overdoses and treatment initiation and uptake among incarcerated people upon release. Highlights the effect this policy had on rural areas and communities that lack access to opioid treatment.
Author(s): Benjamin A. Barsky, Shapei Yan, Meredith B. Rosenthal
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 274, 112775
Date: 09/2025
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Pharmacy Barriers to Receiving Buprenorphine Among Patients Undergoing Telemedicine Addiction Treatment
Presents a study exploring pharmacy-level barriers experienced by patients with opioid use disorder who are receiving treatment via telemedicine. Discusses barriers that lead to missed doses or inaccessible prescriptions. Breaks down data by health and demographic characteristics, such as age, education, and insurance type, among others, and whether the patient lived in a rural or nonrural area.
Author(s): Lauren E. Hendy, Lucas G. Hill, Amanda Olguin, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(8), e2527418
Date: 08/2025
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Presents a study exploring pharmacy-level barriers experienced by patients with opioid use disorder who are receiving treatment via telemedicine. Discusses barriers that lead to missed doses or inaccessible prescriptions. Breaks down data by health and demographic characteristics, such as age, education, and insurance type, among others, and whether the patient lived in a rural or nonrural area.
Author(s): Lauren E. Hendy, Lucas G. Hill, Amanda Olguin, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(8), e2527418
Date: 08/2025
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
- Alcohol use
- Behavioral health
- Behavioral health workforce
- Illicit drug use
- Prescription drug misuse
- Substance use and misuse
- Tobacco use
Last Updated: 10/7/2025