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State Drug Control and Illicit Drug Participation

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  • Henry Saffer
  • Frank Chaloupka

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the effect of state criminal justice expenditures and state public health expenditures on deterring illicit drug use. The empirical model is based on a demand and supply model of drug markets. The effect of a given expenditure on criminal justice or public health programs is dependent on the magnitude of the resulting shifts in the two functions and the demand price elasticity. A reduced form of the demand and supply model is also estimated. The data employed come from the 1990 and 1991 National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). Data on state and local spending for drug related criminal justice and drug related public health programs were merged with the NHSDA. The main findings from the regression results are that drug control spending reduces drug use. However, the results suggest for marijuana users, the marginal cost of drug control exceeds the social benefits of drug control. This may not be the case for users of other illicit drugs. Spending for drug enforcement by police and drug treatment are found most effective in deterring drug use. However, spending for correctional facilities is never significant which suggests that a more efficient method of reducing drug use might be to reduce correctional facilities spending and increase spending on treatment.

Suggested Citation

  • Henry Saffer & Frank Chaloupka, 1999. "State Drug Control and Illicit Drug Participation," NBER Working Papers 7114, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:7114
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Grossman, Michael & Chaloupka, Frank J., 1998. "The demand for cocaine by young adults: a rational addiction approach," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 427-474, August.
    2. Lee, Li Way, 1993. "Would Harassing Drug Users Work?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 101(5), pages 939-959, October.
    3. Anne Line Bretteville-Jensen & Matthew Sutton, 1996. "Under the influence of the market: an applied study of illicitly selling and consuming heroin," Working Papers 147chedp, Centre for Health Economics, University of York.
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    Cited by:

    1. C. McDougall & M. Cohen & R. Swaray & A. Perry, 2008. "Benefit‐Cost Analyses of Sentencing," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 4(1), pages 1-86.
    2. Pinka Chatterji & Sara Markowitz, 2000. "The Impact of Maternal Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use on Children's Behavior Problems: Evidence from the Children of the National Longitudinal Survey..," NBER Working Papers 7692, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Clements, Kenneth W. & Daryal, Mert, 2005. "Exogenous shocks and related goods: Drinking and the legalisation of marijuana," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 89(1), pages 101-106, October.
    4. Rees, Daniel I. & Argys, Laura M. & Averett, Susan L., 2001. "New evidence on the relationship between substance use and adolescent sexual behavior," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(5), pages 835-845, September.
    5. Chatterji, Pinka & Markowitz, Sara, 2001. "The impact of maternal alcohol and illicit drug use on children's behavior problems: evidence from the children of the national longitudinal survey of youth," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(5), pages 703-731, September.
    6. Mark Thornton, 2004. "Prohibition vs. Legalization: Do Economists Reach a Conclusion on Drug Policy?," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 1(1), pages 82-105, April.

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    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health

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