NCJ Number
178692
Journal
Health Economics Volume: 7 Dated: 1998 Pages: 229-245
Date Published
1998
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study examined the relationship between drug use and two labor market outcomes: income and employment.
Abstract
Data were obtained from the National Institute of Mental Health's Epidemiologic Catchment Area Survey (ECA). As part of the ECA program, a random sample of 18,571 adults residing in households were surveyed at five sites. At one site (St. Louis), respondents were not asked the questions on income or employment, and thus were not used in the analysis. Using data from the other four sites, researchers constructed a cross-sectional sample of males aged 18-45. To account for differences over the life cycle in the relationship between drug use and labor market outcomes, the sample was divided into two age groups: 18- to 29-year-olds (n=2,587) and 30- to 45-year-olds (n=2,739). The study addressed two shortcomings of the previous literature. First, unlike many previous analyses, it accounted for differences in intensity of use using clinically based diagnostic measures. Second, recent studies focused only on young adults; this study analyzed a prime-age sample(30- to 45-year-olds)as well. The results show that these differences are important. Similar to previous studies, the current study found evidence of a positive relationship between drug use and income for young workers; however, the study also found some evidence of lower incomes for young workers who reported daily use of illicit drugs. For prime- age men, there was strong evidence that problematic drug use (as indicated by either a diagnosis of pathological use or dependence or by daily use) was negatively related to income. There was also a negative relationship between problematic use and employment among prime-age, but not younger, men. 5 tables, 1 figure, and 34 references