Demand for Illicit Drugs by Pregnant Women

38 Pages Posted: 8 Sep 2004 Last revised: 16 Sep 2022

See all articles by Hope Corman

Hope Corman

Rider University; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Kelly Noonan

Rider University; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Nancy E. Reichman

Rutgers University, New Brunswick - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Dhaval Dave

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) - NY Office; Bentley University - Department of Economics

Date Written: August 2004

Abstract

We use survey data that have been linked to medical records data and city-level drug prices to estimate the demand for illicit drugs among pregnant women. The prevalence of prenatal drug use based on post partum interviews was much lower than that based on evidence in the mothers' and babies' medical records. We found that a $10 increase in the retail price of a gram of pure cocaine decreases illicit drug use by 12 to 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 improving birth outcomes.

Suggested Citation

Corman, Hope and Noonan, Kelly and Reichman, Nancy E. and Dave, Dhaval and Dave, Dhaval, Demand for Illicit Drugs by Pregnant Women (August 2004). NBER Working Paper No. w10688, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=579219

Hope Corman (Contact Author)

Rider University ( email )

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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Kelly Noonan

Rider University ( email )

2083 Lawrenceville Road
Lawrenceville Township, NJ 08648
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Nancy E. Reichman

Rutgers University, New Brunswick - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School ( email )

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United States

Dhaval Dave

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) - NY Office

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Bentley University - Department of Economics ( email )

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United States

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