The Economics of Substance Abuse in Context: Can Economics Be Part of an Integrated Theory of Drug Use?

Abstract

This introductory essay examines the issues and perspectives that separate the economics literature from the work of scholars in other social sciences who share a concern about problems of substance abuse. The economic perspective is summarized and the ways in which it is complementary to the other social sciences is explored. Sociological theories of drug abuse are reviewed to assess the extent to which they implicitly incorporate economic ideas. Microeconomics, the theoretical core of economics, is the study of choice under constraints. It is argued that economists bring to the theory of deviance vast experience in modeling choices in a variety of institutional settings. Economics, therefore, may significantly contribute to an integrated social science model of deviance.