The Spread of Drug Use: Epidemic Models or Social Interaction?

Hans O. Melberg

A chapter in Substance Use: Individual Behaviour, Social Interactions, Markets and Politics, 2005, pp 173-199 from Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Abstract: This chapter argues that models trying to explain the spread of drug use should not be based on standard epidemiological models developed to describe the spread of infectious diseases. The main weaknesses of the standard model are the lack of attention to micro-foundations and the inappropriateness of several of its assumptions in the context of drug use. An approach based on mechanisms and social interaction is argued to provide a promising alternative to the standard approach. To illustrate this, a model of the spread of drugs based on two mechanisms has been developed (observational learning and social stigma). Lastly, some of the difficulties in testing and deriving policy implications in these models are discussed.

Date: 2005
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:aheszz:s0731-2199(05)16008-7

DOI: 10.1016/S0731-2199(05)16008-7

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