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Alcohol and marijuana use among college students: economic complements or substitutes?

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  • J. Williams
  • Rosalie Liccardo Pacula
  • Frank J. Chaloupka
  • Henry Wechsler

Abstract

Previous research has shown that the recent tightening of college alcohol policies has been effective at reducing college students' drinking. Over the period in which these stricter alcohol policies have been put in place, marijuana use among college students has increased. This raises the question of whether current policies aimed at reducing alcohol consumption are inadvertently encouraging marijuana use. This paper begins to address this question by investigating the relationship between the demands for alcohol and marijuana for college students using data from the 1993, 1997 and 1999 waves of the Harvard School of Public Health's College Alcohol Study (CAS). We find that alcohol and marijuana are economic complements and that policies that increase the full price of alcohol decrease participation in marijuana use. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • J. Williams & Rosalie Liccardo Pacula & Frank J. Chaloupka & Henry Wechsler, 2004. "Alcohol and marijuana use among college students: economic complements or substitutes?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 13(9), pages 825-843, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:13:y:2004:i:9:p:825-843
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.859
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Frank J. Chaloupka & Adit Laixuthai, 1997. "Do Youths Substitute Alcohol and Marijuana? Some Econometric Evidence," Eastern Economic Journal, Eastern Economic Association, vol. 23(3), pages 253-276, Summer.
    2. Simon Peters, 2000. "On the use of the RESET test in microeconometric models," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(6), pages 361-365.
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    4. Chaloupka, Frank J. & Grossman, Michael & Bickel, Warren K. & Saffer, Henry (ed.), 1999. "The Economic Analysis of Substance Use and Abuse," National Bureau of Economic Research Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226100470, December.
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    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General

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