Citation

Fernandez JM, Jayawardhana J. Health Serv. Res. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/1475-6773.13984

PMID

35383935

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of pill mill legislation on suicides and drug-related suicides in the U.S. DATA SOURCES: We use state-level restricted use mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System for the period 2000-2016, along with state level socio-demographic data from U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics and opioid-related state health policy data from publicly available sources for the analysis. STUDY DESIGN: The analyses uses a difference-in-differences regression approach. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Publicly available secondary data were collected, and merged with restricted use mortality data files from the National Vital Statistics System for the analysis. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Our results show that pill mill legislation is associated with a 8.5% (P < 0.01) reduction in the drug related suicide rate, a 4.9% (P<0.05) reduction in suicides among females, and a 4.7% (P<0.05) reduction in suicides among individuals between age 45 to 64 years.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that pill mill legislation has been effective in reducing total suicides among females and age group 45-64, and drug-related suicides in the population resulting about 658 fewer drug-related suicides for a given year if Pill Mill laws are adopted by every state.

Language: en

Keywords

Suicide; Opioids; Drug-related Suicides; Pill Mill Legislation