Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40708036›Full record

ArticleAddiction science & clinical practice2025

An investigation of fentanyl and methamphetamine use among first-time arrestees from 25 county jails across the U.S. in 2023.

Joseph E Schumacher, Abdullah Ahsan, Amber H Simpler, Adam P Natoli, Bradley J Cain, Peter S Chindavong, Aren Yarcan

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. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

7 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.
Peter S ChindavongAlabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, 445 Health Sciences Boulevard, Dothan, AL, 36303, USA.
Aren YarcanAlabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, 445 Health Sciences Boulevard, Dothan, AL, 36303, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Widespread use of fentanyl in combination with methamphetamine in carceral settings presents unique health risks and public health challenges. To contribute to continued efforts to understand drug use among first-time arrestees, this study characterizes the nature and extent of urine drug screenings (UDS) positive for fentanyl and/or methamphetamine among first-time arrestees receiving healthcare in 25 jails across the U.S. This study used the same data source, data extraction, sample selection, and UDS variables as those reported by Schumacher et al. (2025) and a similar data analytic strategy which included 81,842 arrestees with a UDS or 28.8% of total arrestees (283,884). Among first-time arrestees with complete results (43,553), 32,561 or 74.8% of arrestees tested positive for any drug and among those, 14,426 (44.3%) were positive for fentanyl and/or methamphetamine. Of those, 59.8% and 11.5% were only positive for methamphetamine or fentanyl, respectively, while 28.7% were positive for both. Demographically, individuals testing positive for both fentanyl and methamphetamine were predominantly white young adults (aged 20-39), with similar co-occurrence patterns in males and females. Fentanyl alone was more common in southern and midwestern jails and mega-sized jails, methamphetamine was more common in medium-large and southern jails, and their co-occurrence was most common in western and large jails. Approximately 97.5% of first-time arrestees tested positive for two or more drugs, with individuals testing positive for five or more drugs significantly more likely to test positive for both fentanyl and methamphetamine. This study highlights the significant prevalence of methamphetamine and/or fentanyl use among first-time arrestees, underscoring the urgent need for targeted interventions, improved in-jail substance use treatment, and post-release support to mitigate overdose risks and enhance public health outcomes.

Indexed as

Amphetamine-Related DisordersFentanylJailsMethamphetamineOpioid-Related DisordersPrisonersAdolescentAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSubstance Abuse DetectionUnited StatesYoung AdultFentanylMethamphetamineArresteesFentanylJailMethamphetamineOpioidSubstance use

Identifiers

PMID40708036
PMCPMC12288351

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.