title: Demand for illicit drugs among pregnant women.
abstract: We use postpartum survey data linked to medical records and city-level drug prices to estimate the demand for illicit drugs among pregnant women. We find that a $10 increase in the retail price of a gram of pure cocaine decreases illicit drug use by 12-15%. The estimated price effects for heroin are lower than for cocaine and are less robust across alternative model specifications. This study provides the first estimates of the effects of drug prices on prenatal drug use and yields important information about the potential of drug enforcement as a tool for reducing illicit drug use among pregnant women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Hope
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Corman
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Noonan
authors.forename: Nancy E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Reichman
authors.forename: Dhaval
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dave
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000191:economics* / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D008485:Medical Audit; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs