A path out: Prescription drug abuse, treatment, and suicide

Mark Borgschulte, Adriana Corredor-Waldron and Guillermo Marshall

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2018, vol. 149, issue C, 169-184

Abstract: In this paper we investigate the dual role of supply restrictions and drug treatment in combating the concurrent rise of opioid abuse and suicide in the United States over the last two decades. We find that supply-side interventions decrease suicides in places with strong addiction-help networks, implying that prescription drug abuse is associated with an inherent risk of suicide. Our findings support an important role for access to treatment services in policies designed to combat the opioid epidemic.

Keywords: Prescription drugs; Drug abuse; Drug addiction treatment; PDMP; Suicide (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D11 D12 I12 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Working Paper: A Path Out: Prescription Drug Abuse, Treatment, and Suicide (2018)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:149:y:2018:i:c:p:169-184

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2018.03.006

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