Work

A closer look at Doleac and Mukherjee (2022) and the effects of naloxone access laws on opioid ER admissions

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In their 2022 study, ‘The Effects of Naloxone Access Laws on Opioid Abuse, Mortality, and Crime,’ Doleac and Mukherjee conclude that broadening access to a life‐saving drug—naloxone—does not reduce opioid‐related mortality as the drug simultaneously encourages riskier drug use. I show issues with their data, design, and estimation methods. For example, their Google Search data has an unverifiable origin, the law timing is incorrect, and the statistical inference is invalid. Correcting these issues within a triple difference design shows that naloxone, contrary to their findings, does not increase ER opioid admissions. I conclude that the moral hazard (and the ensuing adverse consequences) of naloxone use lacks empirical support.

Source: Economic Inquiry

DOI: 10.1111/ecin.13277

Author: Sergey Alexeev

Institutions: The University of Sydney, National Health and Medical Research Council

Language: English

Topic: Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,400