Unintended Consequences and Tradeoffs in Substance Use Policy

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

This panel examines how state and local policies regulating addictive or potentially harmful substances influence health behaviors and public outcomes. The first paper analyzes the effects of classifying gabapentin as a controlled substance on prescribing patterns, co-prescribing with opioids, and potential substitution to other treatments. The second paper studies the impact of local alcohol legalization in Texas, finding that expanded access does not increase alcohol-related traffic fatalities, likely due to shifts in the types of establishments driving availability. The third paper explores the effects of tobacco taxes on youth smoking and marijuana use, identifying important substitution patterns that shape the effectiveness of tax-based deterrents. The fopurth paper studies the long-term effects of increasing the Minimum Legal Drinking Age on Organ Failure. Together, these studies inform policymakers about the broader behavioral and health consequences of regulating legal but high-risk substances.

Policy Area

• Health Policy

Chair

• Patrick Carlin, Washington State University

Discussants

• Joaquin Alfredo-Angel Rubalcaba, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

• W. David Bradford, The University of Georgia

Organizer

• Nicole Y Siegal, Indiana University

Individual Presentations

• Does easier access to alcohol affect road safety? Insights from Texas municipalities - Presenting Author: Somdeepa Das, Purdue University

• Are Tobacco Taxes Effective in Reducing Youth Smoking? - Presenting Author: Arjun Teotia, Henry Ford Health System

• State Controlled Use Classifications on Gabapentin and Behavioral Health Outcomes - Presenting Author: Nicole Y Siegal, Indiana University; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Sumedha Gupta Gupta; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Alberto Ortega, Indiana University

• The Long-Term Effects of Increasing the Minimum Legal Drinking Age on Organ Failure - Presenting Author: Minh Nguyen, Ball State University