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. 2020 May;124(5):568-574.
doi: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2020.03.004. Epub 2020 Mar 19.

Trends in the use of mind-altering drugs among European adolescents during the Great Recession

Nicoletta Balbo  1 , Piergiorgio Carapella  2 , Veronica Toffolutti  3
Affiliations

Trends in the use of mind-altering drugs among European adolescents during the Great Recession

Nicoletta Balbo et al. Health Policy. 2020 May.

Abstract

Despite the growing evidence of health-responses to macroeconomic fluctuations, little research has been carried out on the economic reflexes of licit and illicit drug-consumption, especially among teenagers. This paper uses data on adolescents between 15 and 17 years old from 25 European countries to test, if and how, the substance-use pattern has changed during the Great Recession. The data come from two cross-sectional waves (2007 and 2011) of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) (n = 137,989 individuals). One percentage point increase in the unemployment rate is associated with an increase [decrease] in the probability of having tried inhalants and cocaine [ecstasy] at least once, by about 0.005 (95 % CI: 0.004, 0.006) and 0.001 (95 % CI: 0.0001, 0.001) [-0.001 (95 % CI: -0.001, -0.001)] respectively. Social protection expenditure reduces the use of inhalants, whereas ecstasy consumption rises. The pattern for cocaine is unclear.

Keywords: Adolescents health behaviours; Macroeconomic fluctuations; Mind-altering drugs; Substance use.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors have no financial relationships with any organization that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous three years, no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.