Does drug decriminalization increase unintentional drug overdose deaths?

Noah Spencer

Journal of Health Economics, 2023, vol. 91, issue C

Abstract: This paper evaluates the causal effect of drug decriminalization on unintentional drug overdose deaths in a context with relatively poor access to drug treatment services. Using the synthetic control method, I find that when Oregon decriminalized small amounts of drugs in February 2021, it caused 182 additional unintentional drug overdose deaths to occur in Oregon in 2021. This represents a 23% increase over the number of unintentional drug overdose deaths predicted if Oregon had not decriminalized drugs.

Keywords: Drug decriminalization; Illicit drugs; Synthetic control method (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D04 I18 K42 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:91:y:2023:i:c:s0167629623000759

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2023.102798

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