Prescription Rates Drive Opioid Crisis More Than Economic Woes, Study Finds
“The supply of opioid prescriptions is a strong predictor of declines in work-force participation, according to a new study, which also found that weak employment conditions themselves didn’t lead to more opioid abuse. The study by two Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland economists found that people in areas with higher opioid prescription rates are less likely to participate in the labor force, and have lower employment rates. Yet the share of people abusing opioids didn’t increase because of the last recession.”