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The Role of Friends in the Opioid Epidemic

Author

Listed:
  • Effrosyni Adamopoulou

    (University of Mannheim)

  • Jeremy Greenwood

    (University of Pennsylvania)

  • Nezih Guner

    (CEMFI)

  • Karen Kopecky

Abstract

The role of friends in the US opioid epidemic is examined. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health), adults aged 25-34 and their high school best friends are focused on. An instrumental variable technique is employed to estimate peer effects in opioid misuse. Severe injuries in the previous year are used as an instrument for opioid misuse in order to estimate the causal impact of a person’s best friends’ opioid misuse on their own misuse. The estimated peer effects are significant: Having a best friend with a reported serious injury in the previous year increases the probability of own opioid misuse by around 7 percentage points in a population where 17 percent ever misuses opioids. The effect is concentrated among non-college graduates and peers with strong ties who are central in their friendship networks. Peer opioid misuse leads to deteriorating health, opioid addiction, and eventually death.

Suggested Citation

  • Effrosyni Adamopoulou & Jeremy Greenwood & Nezih Guner & Karen Kopecky, 2024. "The Role of Friends in the Opioid Epidemic," Working Papers 2024-020, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    • Handle: RePEc:hka:wpaper:2024-020
    Note: FI
    as

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    File URL: http://humcap.uchicago.edu/RePEc/hka/wpaper/Adamopoulou_Greenwood_Guner_etal_2024_role-friends-opiod-epidemic.pdf
    File Function: First version, November 4, 2024
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    peer-group effects; instrumental variables; Add Health; severe injuries;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C26 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Instrumental Variables (IV) Estimation
    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts

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