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Trends in the use of mind-altering drugs among European adolescents during the Great Recession

Nicoletta Balbo, Piergiorgio Carapella and Veronica Toffolutti

Health Policy, 2020, vol. 124, issue 5, 568-574

Abstract: Despite the growing evidence of health-responses to macroeconomic fluctuations, little research has been carried out on the economic reflexes of licit and illicit drug-consumption, especially among teenagers. This paper uses data on adolescents between 15 and 17 years old from 25 European countries to test, if and how, the substance-use pattern has changed during the Great Recession. The data come from two cross-sectional waves (2007 and 2011) of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) (n = 137,989 individuals). One percentage point increase in the unemployment rate is associated with an increase [decrease] in the probability of having tried inhalants and cocaine [ecstasy] at least once, by about 0.005 (95 % CI: 0.004, 0.006) and 0.001 (95 % CI: 0.0001, 0.001) [−0.001 (95 % CI: −0.001, −0.001)] respectively. Social protection expenditure reduces the use of inhalants, whereas ecstasy consumption rises. The pattern for cocaine is unclear.

Keywords: Macroeconomic fluctuations; Adolescents health behaviours; Substance use; Mind-altering drugs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:124:y:2020:i:5:p:568-574

DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2020.03.004

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