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Abandoned by Coal, Swallowed by Opioids?

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Listed:
  • Gilbert E. Metcalf
  • Qitong Wang

Abstract

Opioid addiction and mortality skyrocketed over the past decade. A casual look at the geographic incidence of opioid mortality shows sharply higher mortality rates in the Appalachian region, especially in coal-mining areas. This has led observers to make a link that was characterized by one newspaper as “abandoned by coal, swallowed by opioids.” We test that theory using restricted death data and mine level coal production data. Specifically, we examine whether higher reliance on coal mining in a county’s economy leads to higher or lower opioid mortality. We find a positive relationship between the share of coal miners among total local labor force and county-level opioid mortality rates. This contradicts the “abandoned by coal, swallowed by opioids” story. Rather our results suggest that the higher rates of injury in underground coal mining (in particular) lead to greater amounts of opioid consumption and mortality. An implication is that the decline in coal mining in the United States may have a positive spillover in the form of reduced mortality from opioid use.

Suggested Citation

  • Gilbert E. Metcalf & Qitong Wang, 2019. "Abandoned by Coal, Swallowed by Opioids?," NBER Working Papers 26551, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:26551
    Note: EEE EH
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    Cited by:

    1. Chowdhury, Sulin, 2023. "Prescription Limiting Laws Effects on Opioid Misuse in the United States," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335457, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Deiana, Claudio & Giua, Ludovica, 2023. "This site is closed! The effect of decommissioning mining waste facilities on mortality in the long run," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    3. Boslett, Andrew & Hill, Elaine, 2022. "Mortality during resource booms and busts," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    4. Adele C. Morris & Noah Kaufman & Siddhi Doshi, 2020. "Revenue at Risk in Coal-Reliant Counties," NBER Chapters, in: Environmental and Energy Policy and the Economy, volume 2, pages 83-116, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Deiana, C. & Giua, L. & Nisticò, R., 2020. "Opium Price Shocks and Prescription Opioids in the US," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 20/23, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    6. Daniele, Gianmarco & Le Moglie, Marco & Masera, Federico, 2023. "Pains, guns and moves: The effect of the U.S. opioid epidemic on Mexican migration," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    7. Adele Morris & Noah Kaufman & Siddhi Doshi, 2020. "Revenue at Risk in Coal-Reliant Counties," NBER Working Papers 27307, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Mueller, Rose M., 2022. "Surface coal mining and public health disparities: Evidence from Appalachia," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • Q32 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Exhaustible Resources and Economic Development
    • Q35 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Hydrocarbon Resources

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