Drug use and abuse have many negative consequences. Marijuana consumption, for example, has been associated with increased criminal behavior, excessive health care utilization, reduced earnings and labor market problems, and the “gateway effect” to more severe substance use. Truancy, school dropout, and other education demand depressors are persistent issues of great concern to families, educators, administrators, and policymakers. Present models for explaining truancy have included demographic, family/socioeconomic, mental health, and school factors. Few studies, however, have explored the effects of marijuana use on the demand for education. If marijuana use was found to significantly decrease the demand for education, the associated social costs of adolescent criminal behavior, decreased future earnings, and other consequences would have to be considered in all subsequent economic analyses of substance abuse prevention and treatment programs.
Using the 1997 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, we explore the relationship between adolescent marijuana use and education demand. Several empirical specifications are used to estimate the parameters and marginal effects of marijuana use and the factors noted above on education demand. Since marijuana use is potentially endogenous, we employ a two-stage estimation technique and other statistical routines to test for this possible bias. The results are presented and compared across specifications, and future directions for expansion and improvement of the model are discussed. Finally, policy implications are outlined and guidelines for drug abuse prevention programs are suggested.
Learning Objectives: Participants will: 1. Have an understanding of the extant literature on adolescent truancy, and some of the causes. 2. Gain a thorough understanding of the relationship between adolescent marijuana use, education participation, and truancy. 3. Be presented with an explanation of the econometric techniques employed in the paper to control for the potential endogeneity of drug use in the specifications
Keywords: Adolescents, Marijuana
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: University of Miami, Health Services Research Center
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.