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Individual Behaviours and Substance Use: The Role of Price

In: Substance Use: Individual Behaviour, Social Interactions, Markets and Politics

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  • Michael Grossman

Abstract

I discuss economic approaches to the demand for harmfully addictive substances with an emphasis on the role of money prices. First, I examine trends in the real prices and in the prevalence of the use of cigarettes, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana in the U.S.A. Then I present estimates of time-series demand functions. Next, I discuss how economists have modified their traditional model of consumer behaviour to incorporate the addictive aspects of illegal substances. I conclude with implications for tax policy and for the lively and contentious debate concerning the legalization of marijuana, cocaine, and heroin.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Grossman, 2005. "Individual Behaviours and Substance Use: The Role of Price," Advances in Health Economics and Health Services Research, in: Substance Use: Individual Behaviour, Social Interactions, Markets and Politics, pages 15-39, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:aheszz:s0731-2199(05)16002-6
    DOI: 10.1016/S0731-2199(05)16002-6
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    Cited by:

    1. Clifford F. Thies, 2012. "The Relationship Between Enforcement and the Price of Marijuana," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 28(Fall 2012), pages 79-90.
    2. Lim, King Yoong & Morris, Diego, 2020. "The economics of the illicit drugs-for-guns trade and growth," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 218-232.
    3. Norman V. Loayza & Naotaka Sugawara, 2012. "Would liberalization lead to epidemic cocaine consumption?," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(14), pages 1405-1409, September.
    4. Vipul Bhatt, 2011. "Adolescent Alcohol Use and Intergenerational Transfers: Evidence from Micro Data," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 296-307, June.
    5. Cheng, Stephanie F. & De Franco, Gus & Lin, Pengkai, 2023. "Marijuana liberalization and public finance: A capital market perspective on the passage of medical use laws," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(1).
    6. Carlos Dobkin & Nancy Nicosia, 2009. "The War on Drugs: Methamphetamine, Public Health, and Crime," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(1), pages 324-349, March.
    7. Anne Bretteville-Jensen, 2006. "Drug Demand – Initiation, Continuation and Quitting," De Economist, Springer, vol. 154(4), pages 491-516, December.
    8. Pudney, Stephen & Bryan, Mark & DelBono, Emilia, 2013. "Licensing and regulation of the cannabis market in England and Wales: Towards a cost-benefit analysis," MPRA Paper 50365, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Rinaldi, Gustavo, 2007. "The use of economic tools to develop a consensus on alcohol policies within and between jurisdictions," MPRA Paper 21941, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 18 Apr 2007.
    10. Jonathan Caulkins & Paul Dietze & Alison Ritter, 2007. "Dynamic compartmental model of trends in Australian drug use," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 10(2), pages 151-162, June.
    11. Christopher Carpenter & Philip J. Cook, 2007. "Cigarette Taxes and Youth Smoking: New Evidence from National, State, & Local Youth Risk Behavior Surveys," NBER Working Papers 13046, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Thorhildur Ólafsdóttir & Birgir Hrafnkelsson & Tinna Ásgeirsdóttir, 2015. "The Icelandic economic collapse, smoking, and the role of labor-market changes," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 16(4), pages 391-405, May.
    13. DeCicca, Philip & Kenkel, Don & Mathios, Alan, 2008. "Cigarette taxes and the transition from youth to adult smoking: Smoking initiation, cessation, and participation," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 904-917, July.
    14. Gwendolyn Alexander Tedeschi, 2007. "Drug Markets: A Classroom Experiment," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 51(1), pages 75-84, March.
    15. Craig Lemboe & Philip Black, 2012. "Cigarettes taxes and smuggling in South Africa: Causes and Consequences," Working Papers 09/2012, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
    16. Slim, Sadri, 2009. "Du refus de vente au don: une explication de la formation du prix par l´affect [From rejection of exchange to gift: regard as an explanation of prices]," MPRA Paper 15317, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 24 Apr 2009.
    17. Nelson, Jon P., 2006. "Cigarette advertising regulation: A meta-analysis," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 195-226, June.
    18. Cláudia Costa Storti & Paul De Grauwe, 2007. "Globalization and the Price Decline of Illicit Drugs," CESifo Working Paper Series 1990, CESifo.
    19. A. Ramirez-Hassan & C. Gomez & S. Velasquez & K. Tangarife, 2023. "Marijuana on Main Streets? The Story Continues in Colombia: An Endogenous Three-part Model," Papers 2306.10031, arXiv.org.

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    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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