Working Paper: NBER ID: w28862
Authors: Adriana Corredor-Waldron; Janet Currie
Abstract: The continuing drug overdose crisis in the U.S. has highlighted the urgent need for greater access to treatment. This paper examines the impact of openings and closings of substance abuse treatment facilities in New Jersey on emergency room visits for substance abuse issues among nearby residents. We find that drug-related ER visits increase by 16.6% after a facility closure and decrease by 9.5% after an opening. The effects are largest in relatively under-served areas, among Black residents, and among males. They are smaller for the middle aged than for either younger or older people. The results suggest that expanding access to treatment results in significant reductions in morbidity related to drug abuse.
Keywords: substance abuse; treatment facilities; emergency room visits; public health
JEL Codes: I12
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| closure of treatment facilities (J65) | increase in drug-related emergency room visits (I19) |
| opening of treatment facilities (R53) | decrease in drug-related emergency room visits (I19) |
| access to treatment facilities (I19) | drug-related emergency room visits (I19) |
| specific demographics (e.g., Black residents, males) (R23) | barriers to treatment access (I14) |