{"title":"Substitution and Complementarity in the Consumption of Alcohol, Cannabis, and Opium.","authors":"Siddharth Chandra, Gaurav Doshi","doi":"10.1002/hec.4938","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding the behavior of populations of drug consumers has been and remains a topic of keen interest. Using a unique dataset on 25 districts from Bengal, India, from 1911 to 1925, we analyze whether populations of consumers treat alcohol, cannabis, and opium as economic substitutes or complements in a legal regime. Additionally, we examine responsiveness to prices and income. Our analysis has three main findings. First, we find evidence of substitution between alcohol and cannabis bud. Second, cannabis leaf is a complement for alcohol but a substitute for cannabis bud. Third, we find negative income elasticity for alcohol, cannabis bud, and opium consumption. These findings on the link between consumption patterns and economic factors can guide harm reduction strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":12847,"journal":{"name":"Health economics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Health economics","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.4938","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ECONOMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
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Abstract
Understanding the behavior of populations of drug consumers has been and remains a topic of keen interest. Using a unique dataset on 25 districts from Bengal, India, from 1911 to 1925, we analyze whether populations of consumers treat alcohol, cannabis, and opium as economic substitutes or complements in a legal regime. Additionally, we examine responsiveness to prices and income. Our analysis has three main findings. First, we find evidence of substitution between alcohol and cannabis bud. Second, cannabis leaf is a complement for alcohol but a substitute for cannabis bud. Third, we find negative income elasticity for alcohol, cannabis bud, and opium consumption. These findings on the link between consumption patterns and economic factors can guide harm reduction strategies.
期刊介绍：
This Journal publishes articles on all aspects of health economics: theoretical contributions, empirical studies and analyses of health policy from the economic perspective. Its scope includes the determinants of health and its definition and valuation, as well as the demand for and supply of health care; planning and market mechanisms; micro-economic evaluation of individual procedures and treatments; and evaluation of the performance of health care systems.
Contributions should typically be original and innovative. As a rule, the Journal does not include routine applications of cost-effectiveness analysis, discrete choice experiments and costing analyses.
Editorials are regular features, these should be concise and topical. Occasionally commissioned reviews are published and special issues bring together contributions on a single topic. Health Economics Letters facilitate rapid exchange of views on topical issues. Contributions related to problems in both developed and developing countries are welcome.
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