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The Role of Alcohol and Drug Consumption in Determining Physical Fights and Weapon Carrying by Teenagers

Author

Listed:
  • Sara Markowitz

    (Department of Economics, Rugters University)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the question of whether alcohol or drug use increases the likelihood that teenagers will engage in violent behaviors as measured by physical fighting, carrying a gun, or carrying other types of weapons. Simple OLS estimation of the effects of drug and alcohol consumption on violence may be biased because of the possibility that both behaviors are determined by the same unmeasured individual traits. Two-stage least squares estimates are employed, which purge the consumption measures of their correlation with unobserved characteristics. Data come from the National School-Based Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. Results indicated that increased beer and marijuana consumption do lead to more physical fights, while no firm conclusions can be drawn for cocaine use. Furthermore, there is no evidence that consumption of these substances will increase the probabilities of carrying a gun or other weapon.

Suggested Citation

  • Sara Markowitz, 2001. "The Role of Alcohol and Drug Consumption in Determining Physical Fights and Weapon Carrying by Teenagers," Eastern Economic Journal, Eastern Economic Association, vol. 27(4), pages 409-432, Fall.
    • Handle: RePEc:eej:eeconj:v:27:y:2001:i:4:p:409-432
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    Cited by:

    1. Carlos Casacuberta & Mariana Gerstenblüth & Patricia Triunfo, 2012. "Aportes del análisis económico al estudio de las drogas," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 0112, Department of Economics - dECON.
    2. Bondurant, Samuel R. & Lindo, Jason M. & Swensen, Isaac D., 2018. "Substance abuse treatment centers and local crime," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 124-133.
    3. Bisakha Sen, 2003. "Can Beer Taxes Affect Teen Pregnancy? Evidence Based on Teen Abortion Rates and Birth Rates," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 70(2), pages 328-343, October.
    4. Kent Matthews & Jonathan Shepherd & Vaseekaran Sivarajasingham, 2006. "Violence-related injury and the price of beer in England and Wales," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(6), pages 661-670.
    5. Adina Bucur & Sorin Ursoniu & Constantin Caraion-Buzdea & Virgil Ciobanu & Silvia Florescu & Cristian Vladescu, 2020. "Aggressive Behaviors among 15–16-Year-Old Romanian High School Students: Results from Two Consecutive Surveys Related to Alcohol and Other Drug Use at the European Level," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-14, May.
    6. Angelucci Manuela, 2008. "Love on the Rocks: Domestic Violence and Alcohol Abuse in Rural Mexico," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 8(1), pages 1-43, October.
    7. Jon Nelson, 2015. "Binge drinking and alcohol prices: a systematic review of age-related results from econometric studies, natural experiments and field studies," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 1-13, December.
    8. Chatterji, Pinka & Dave, Dhaval & Kaestner, Robert & Markowitz, Sara, 2005. "Erratum to "Alcohol abuse and suicide attempts among youth": [Economics and Human Biology 2 (2) (2004) 159-180]," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 3(1), pages 164-164, March.
    9. Sara Markowitz & Pinka Chatterji & Robert Kaestner & Dhaval Dave, 2002. "Substance Use and Suicidal Behaviors Among Young Adults," NBER Working Papers 8810, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Joseph J. Sabia & Brittany Bass, 2017. "Do anti-bullying laws work? New evidence on school safety and youth violence," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 30(2), pages 473-502, April.
    11. Nelson, Jon P., 2014. "Binge Drinking, Alcohol Prices, And Alcohol Taxes," Working Papers 164652, American Association of Wine Economists.
    12. Pinka Chatterji & Dhaval Dave & Robert Kaestner & Sara Markowitz, 2003. "Alcohol Abuse and Suicide Attempts Among Youth - Correlation or Causation?," NBER Working Papers 9638, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Brendan O'Flaherty & Rajiv Sethi, 2004. "Robbery and Race," Game Theory and Information 0411005, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 10 Jan 2005.
    14. Charles, Kerwin Kofi & Stephens, Melvin, Jr, 2006. "Abortion Legalization and Adolescent Substance Use," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 49(2), pages 481-505, October.
    15. Waddell, G.R., 2012. "Adolescent drug use and the deterrent effect of school-imposed penalties," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 961-969.
    16. Wesley A. Austin, 2012. "The Effects of Alcohol Use on High School Absenteeism," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 57(2), pages 238-252, November.
    17. Heaton, Paul, 2012. "Sunday liquor laws and crime," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(1), pages 42-52.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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