Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40055763›Full record

ArticleAddiction science & clinical practice2025

An investigation of drug use among first-time arrestees from 25 county jails across the United States in 2023.

Joseph E Schumacher, Abdullah Ahsan, Amber H Simpler, Adam P Natoli, Bradley J Cain

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Addiction science & clinical practice, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. A self-assessment of opioid use disorder services at a Pacific Northwest County jail.Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy · 2025
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Joseph E SchumacherNaphCare Charitable Foundation, Inc, 2101 Old Columbiana Road, Suite 100, Birmingham, AL, 35216, USA. joseph.schumacher@naphcare.com.
Abdullah AhsanNaphCare Charitable Foundation, Inc, 2101 Old Columbiana Road, Suite 100, Birmingham, AL, 35216, USA.
Amber H SimplerNaphCare Charitable Foundation, Inc, 2101 Old Columbiana Road, Suite 100, Birmingham, AL, 35216, USA.
Adam P NatoliNatoli Services, LLC, 1315 10th St, PO Box 1192, Huntsville, TX, 77342, USA.
Bradley J CainNaphCare Charitable Foundation, Inc, 2101 Old Columbiana Road, Suite 100, Birmingham, AL, 35216, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundConducting research within a carceral health care context offers a unique view into the nature of drug use among arrestees with potential to identify and prevent drug use consequences. The purpose of this study was to characterize the nature and extent of drug use among first-time jail arrestees to inform detection and treatment.

methodsThis study utilized a naturalistic research design to collect de-identified urine drug screens (UDS), jail characteristics, and arrestee demographic variables among arrestees indicating drug use from 25 jails across the United States in 2023 through a confidential data sharing agreement with NaphCare, Inc. using its proprietary electronic health record operating system. Descriptive statistics were used to detail the features of the dataset, Pearson's chi-square tests of independence were performed to statistically analyze associations between UDS results and jail characteristics and arrestee demographics, and significant chi-square test results were further investigated by examining standardized residuals to clarify the nature and significance of within-group differences in proportions.

resultsOf the 43,553 UDS cases comprising the final sample (28.8% of total arrestees), 74.8% (32,561) were positive for one or more drugs, and 25.2% of UDS cases were negative for all drugs. Among those who tested positive, 69.0% were positive for cannabis, 54.8% for stimulants, 29.6% for opioids, and 12.4% for sedatives. Arrestees were positive for multiple drugs half the time, with combinations of cannabis, stimulants, and opioids most common. Significant associations between drug use and both jail characteristics and arrestee demographics were found.

conclusionsThough drug use is not a recent phenomenon, the lethality potential of the drugs being used today is relatively new. Arrestees with positive urine drug screens are at heightened risk of adverse outcome due to sudden cessation of substance use. Findings highlight the need for objective clinical data to guide acute treatment of individuals at risk of withdrawing while detained.

Indexed as

JailsPrisonersSubstance-Related DisordersAdolescentAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSubstance Abuse DetectionUnited StatesYoung AdultArresteesDrug useHealth careJailsUrine drug screen

Identifiers

PMID40055763
PMCPMC11887323

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.