Description/Abstract
In the United States, over 100,000 people die from drug overdoses every year. County fiscal policies, particularly police spending and revenue generated from fines and forfeitures, not only shape the resources available for health interventions but may also influence how those resources are used to prevent overdoses. This brief highlights findings from a study that used data from the U.S. Census of Governments to examine how counties use of extractive policing practices (fines and forfeitures) as well as spending on health and policing were related to opioid overdose deaths from 2017 to 2020. Findings show that higher county-level police spending is associated with higher overdose death rates, especially in areas where extractive policing practices (revenue generation through fines and forfeitures) is prevalent.
Document Type
Research Brief
Keywords
Substance use disorders, social determinants of health, local governments, policing
Disciplines
Economic Policy | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration | Public Policy | Social Welfare | Substance Abuse and Addiction
Date
1-7-2025
Language
English
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Alyssa Kirk and Shannon Monnat for their edits on a previous draft of this brief.
Recommended Citation
Rothbart, Michah W., Lindenfeld, Zoe, Silver, Diana, and Mauri, Amanda I. (2025). More Police Spending is Linked to Higher Opioid Overdose Mortality Rates. Lerner Center Population Health Research Brief Series. Research Brief #124. Accessed at: https://doi.org/10.14305/rt.lerner.2024.6.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Included in
Economic Policy Commons, Public Policy Commons, Social Welfare Commons, Substance Abuse and Addiction Commons