From Pain Relief to Painful Reality: Analyzing the Nexus between Opioid Abuse and Violence

This research analyzes the relationship between opioid prescription rates, and crime incidence in the United States. Utilizing data from 2012 to 2015 from 3142 counties, this study seeks to unravel the multifaceted impact of opioid prescription rate on crime rates. A notable endogeneity issue surfaces in the relationship between law enforcement personnel and crime. To mitigate this challenge, we introduce an instrumental variable, the "annual average police wage." Employing a fixed-effect approach, our findings reveal a compelling association—increasing the number of law enforcement personnel correlates with a reduction in the likelihood of robberies in urban counties. Furthermore, an upswing in the count of mental health providers is linked to a decrease in burglaries in urban areas. This analysis sheds light on the nuanced dynamics involving mental health, law enforcement, and criminal activity, offering valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners alike.