Relationship of Unemployment Rate and Rate of Opiate Exposure in Kentucky

Abstract

There are conflicting reports regarding the relationship of labor supply and substance abuse. Opioid analgesic abuse, particularly with Oxycontin and hydrocodone, has increased in the past years. Kentucky is one of the states with the highest abuse rate for these substances. The purpose of this trend study is to determine if there is a relationship between unemployment rate and rate of opiate exposure in Kentucky. The time period analyzed was year 2000 to year 2005. Data were obtained from the United States Census Bureau, United States Department of Labor and the Kentucky Regional Poison Center. Three of the six years (2000, 2002, 2003) showed a significant positive correlation between higher unemployment rate and higher rate of opiate exposure. The largest negative correlation was noted in 2004, which was also the period wherein the unemployment rate decreased statewide. Correlations for the remaining two years (2001 and 2005) approached statistical significance.

Keywords:

• Kentucky
• rate of opiate exposure
• trend study
• unemployment rate
• USA