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Abandoned by Coal, Swallowed by Opioids?

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Listed:
  • Gilbert E. Metcalf
  • Qitong Wang

Abstract

Opioid addiction and mortality skyrocketed over the past decade. A casual look at the geographic incidence of opioid mortality shows sharply higher mortality rates in the Appalachian region, especially in coal-mining areas. This has led observers to make a link that was characterized by one newspaper as “abandoned by coal, swallowed by opioids.” We test that theory using restricted death data and mine level coal production data. Specifically, we examine whether higher reliance on coal mining in a county’s economy leads to higher or lower opioid mortality. We find a positive relationship between the share of coal miners among total local labor force and county-level opioid mortality rates. This contradicts the “abandoned by coal, swallowed by opioids” story. Rather our results suggest that the higher rates of injury in underground coal mining (in particular) lead to greater amounts of opioid consumption and mortality. An implication is that the decline in coal mining in the United States may have a positive spillover in the form of reduced mortality from opioid use.

Suggested Citation

  • Gilbert E. Metcalf & Qitong Wang, 2019. "Abandoned by Coal, Swallowed by Opioids?," NBER Working Papers 26551, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:26551
    Note: EEE EH
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    1. repec:ags:aaea22:335457 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Deiana, Claudio & Giua, Ludovica, 2023. "This site is closed! The effect of decommissioning mining waste facilities on mortality in the long run," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    3. Boslett, Andrew & Hill, Elaine, 2022. "Mortality during resource booms and busts," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    4. Dhaval M. Dave & Bilge Erten & David W. Hummel & Pinar Keskin & Shuo Zhang, 2024. "Fighting Abuse with Prescription Tracking: Mandatory Drug Monitoring and Intimate Partner Violence," NBER Working Papers 32563, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Claudio Deiana & Ludovica Giua & Roberto Nisticò, 2024. "Opium Price Shocks and Prescription Opioids in the USA," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 86(3), pages 449-484, June.
    6. Adele C. Morris & Noah Kaufman & Siddhi Doshi, 2020. "Revenue at Risk in Coal-Reliant Counties," NBER Chapters, in: Environmental and Energy Policy and the Economy, volume 2, pages 83-116, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Daniele, Gianmarco & Le Moglie, Marco & Masera, Federico, 2023. "Pains, guns and moves: The effect of the U.S. opioid epidemic on Mexican migration," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    8. Adele Morris & Noah Kaufman & Siddhi Doshi, 2020. "Revenue at Risk in Coal-Reliant Counties," NBER Working Papers 27307, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Mueller, Rose M., 2022. "Surface coal mining and public health disparities: Evidence from Appalachia," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    10. Lowenstein, Christopher, 2024. "“Deaths of despair” over the business cycle: New estimates from a shift-share instrumental variables approach," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • Q32 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Exhaustible Resources and Economic Development
    • Q35 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Hydrocarbon Resources

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