RT Article
T1 Theft, Opioid Pills, Unemployment, and Insurance: A Longitudinal Analysis of American Counties in the Wake of the Opioids Crisis
JF Journal of drug issues
VO 51
IS 3
SP 504
OP 517
A1 Confer, Leanne M.
A2 Boman, John H.
A2 Pryor, Cori
A2 Mowen, Thomas J.
A2 Hemez, Paul
LA English
YR 2021
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1759180912
AB This study examines the relationships between prescription opioid pills, unemployment, health insurance, and theft. Covering the years 2006–2012, our data are an aggregate of information from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Incident-Based Reporting System, and the American Community Survey (ACS). The unit of analysis is time nested within counties. Preliminary results demonstrate that there were approximately 46 prescription opioid pills distributed per person annually in the United States between 2006 and 2012. Multivariate results reveal that counties with higher numbers of prescription opioid pills tend to experience significantly higher patterns of theft. Interestingly, health insurance is positively associated with theft while unemployment appears to protect against theft. The relationship between pills and theft is also conditioned by both unemployment and health insurance. Future research should explore these relationships to better inform efforts at making responsible social policy in the midst of the opioids crisis.
K1 Health Insurance
K1 Unemployment
K1 Larceny
K1 Theft
K1 opioid pills
DO 10.1177/0022042621998690