Food Insecurity and the Opioid Crisis. Issue 1 (September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Heflin, Colleen; Sun, Xiaohan
• Other Names: Darolia Rajeev guest-editor.; Heflin Colleen guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Volume 703:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 262
• Page End: 284
• Publication Date: 2022-09
• Subjects: drug reformulation -- food insecurity -- overdose -- OxyContin -- prescription opioids; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- United States -- Periodicals; Political science -- Periodicals; United States -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; 300
• DOI: 10.1177/00027162221149287
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0002-7162

Abstract

The opioid epidemic has increased adult mortality, disrupted families, and changed labor supply—all factors that are independently associated with poverty and food insecurity. We explore the relationship between the opioid crisis and food insecurity at the state level, first by examining the relationship of drug-related mortalities to food insecurity, and then by exploiting cross-state variations in OxyContin misuse prior to reformulation of the drug to investigate whether food insecurity increased as individuals with opioid use disorder transitioned from prescription to street drugs such as heroin. Results provide further evidence of the presence and size of the social consequences of the opioid crises and the negative consequences associated with drug reformulation for food security.