An examination of non-addictive drug (mis)use and work absenteeism

Wesley A. Austin, Sarah J. Skinner and John Keith Watson

Journal of Applied Economics, 2020, vol. 23, issue 1, 149-162

Abstract: This article mainly examines the effect(s) of legal drug misuse on work absenteeism, which has a connecting influence to work productivity. Also, the analysis compares the effects of legal drug use (e.g., tranquilizers) on work absences to that of a commonly used, but illegal drug, marijuana. Utilizing a large dataset from the NSDUH (National Survey on Drug Use and Health), and controlling for several demographic and labor market-related variables, our results indicate that legal drug use (for nonmedical reasons) leads to an increase in work absenteeism, as does marijuana. In some instances, legal drug use has a greater effect on work absenteeism that does marijuana.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1080/15140326.2019.1709013

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