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Good Samaritan harm reduction policy and drug overdose deaths
Author(s) -
Atkins Danielle N.,
Durrance Christine Piette,
Kim Yuna
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
health services research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.706
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1475-6773
pISSN - 0017-9124
DOI - 10.1111/1475-6773.13119
Subject(s) - harm reduction , medicine , harm , drug overdose , poison control , poisson regression , environmental health , medical prescription , public health , pharmacology , population , psychology , social psychology , nursing
Objective To examine the effects of a harm reduction policy, specifically Good Samaritan ( GS ) policy, on overdose deaths. Data Sources/Study Setting Secondary data from multiple cause of death, mortality records paired with state harm reduction and substance use prevention policy. Study Design We estimate fixed effects Poisson count models to model the effect of GS policy on overdose deaths for all, prescription, and illicit drugs, controlled substances, and opioids, while controlling for other harm reduction and substance use prevention policies. Data Collection/Extraction Methods We merge secondary data sources by state and year between 1999 and 2016. Principal fi ndings We fail to identify a statistically significant effect of GS policy in reducing overdose deaths broadly. Conclusions While we are unable to identify an effect of GS policy on overdose deaths, GS policy may have important effects on first‐stage outcomes not investigated in this paper. Given recent state policy changes and rapid increase in many categories of overdose deaths, additional research should continue to examine the implementation and effects of harm reduction policy specifically and substance use prevention policy broadly.