The effect of opioid use on traffic fatalities.

We use a difference-in-differences design to study the effect of opioid use on traffic fatalities. Following Alpert et al., we focus on the 1996 introduction and marketing of OxyContin, and we examine its long-term impacts on traffic fatalities involving Schedule II drugs or heroin. Based on the national fatal vehicle crash database, we find that the states heavily targeted by the initial marketing of OxyContin (i.e., non-triplicate states) experienced 2.4 times more traffic fatalities (1.6 additional deaths per million individuals) involving Schedule II drugs or heroin during 2011-2019, when overdose deaths from heroin and fentanyl became more prominent. We find no difference in traffic fatalities until after the mid-2000s between states with and without a triplicate prescription program. The effect is mainly concentrated in fatal crashes with drug involvement of drivers ages between 25 and 44. Our results highlight additional long-term detrimental consequences of the introduction and marketing of OxyContin.

The short-term economic consequences of COVID-19: Exposure to disease, remote work and government response.

We examine the determinants of the consequences of COVID-19 on employment and wages in the United States. Guided by a pre-analysis plan, we investigate whether the economic consequences of COVID-19 were larger for certain occupations, using four indexes: workers relatively more exposed to disease, workers that work with proximity to coworkers, essential/critical workers and workers who can easily work remotely. We find that individuals that work in proximity to others are more affected while individuals able to work remotely and essential workers are less affected by the pandemic. We also present suggestive evidence that our indexes are likely explanations why certain demographic groups such as younger and minority workers have worse labor market outcomes during the pandemic.

The short-term economic consequences of COVID-19: Occupation tasks and mental health in Canada.

In this paper, we study the effect of COVID-19 on the labour market and reported mental health of Canadians. To better understand the effect of the pandemic on the labour market, we build indexes for whether workers: (i) are relatively more exposed to disease, (ii) work in proximity to co-workers, (iii) are essential workers and (iv) can easily work remotely. Our estimates suggest that the impact of COVID-19 was significantly more severe for workers that work in proximity to co-workers and those more exposed to disease who are not in the health sector, while the effects are less severe for essential workers and workers that can work remotely. Last, using the Canadian Perspective Survey Series, we observe that reported mental health is significantly lower among some of the most affected workers such as women and less-educated workers. We also document that those who were absent from work because of COVID-19 are more concerned with meeting their financial obligations and with losing their job than those who continue working outside their home.

Conséquences économiques de la COVID­19 à court terme : tâches professionnelles et santé mentale au Canada. Dans cet article, nous étudions les répercussions de la COVID­19 sur le marché de l'emploi et la santé mentale déclarée des Canadiens. Afin de mieux comprendre les effets de la pandémie sur le marché du travail, nous avons développé des indices permettant de déterminer si les travailleurs : 1) sont relativement plus exposés à la maladie; 2) exercent leur activité à proximité de leurs collègues; 3) sont essentiels; 4) peuvent facilement travailler à distance. D'après nos estimations, les conséquences de la COVID­19 se sont avérées nettement plus sévères chez les travailleurs exerçant à proximité de leurs collègues ainsi que les professionnels (hors secteur médical) davantage exposés à la maladie, mais moins importantes chez les travailleurs essentiels et les télétravailleurs. Enfin, en nous appuyant sur l'une des enquêtes sur les perspectives canadiennes, nous observons que la santé mentale déclarée est nettement inférieure chez les travailleurs les plus touchés, notamment les femmes et les travailleurs moins instruits. Nous montrons également que les personnes écartées de leur travail en raison de la COVID­19 se soucient davantage du respect de leurs obligations financières et de la perte de leur emploi par rapport à celles qui ont pu continuer à travailler hors de leur domicile.

The effect of Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansions on foster care admissions.

Recent papers have documented positive externalities of Medicaid expansions on several non-health related variables, such as crime, financial stress, child support, and child abuse. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between access to public health insurance and foster care admissions following state decisions to expand Medicaid coverage after the Affordable Care Act. Over 70% of all foster care admissions are related to child abuse incidents, which have been found to decrease following the Medicaid expansions. Our results suggest that the Medicaid expansions are associated with a large decrease in foster care admissions, driven by neglect incidents.

Determinants of Family Stress and Domestic Violence: Lessons from the COVID-19 Outbreak.

In this article, we examine Canadians' concerns regarding the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on domestic violence and family stress. Our empirical analysis relies on a unique survey conducted online, the Canadian Perspective Survey Series, which allows us to investigate the determinants of concerns regarding family stress and domestic violence during the first COVID-19 lockdown. We find no evidence that changes in work arrangements are related to concerns regarding family stress and violence in the home. In contrast, we find that the inability to meet financial obligations and concerns about maintaining social ties are significantly related to concerns about family stress and domestic violence.

Dans cet article, nous nous intéressons à l'impact de la maladie à coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) sur la violence familiale et le stress familial. Notre analyse empirique repose sur une enquête unique menée en ligne, la Série d'enquêtes sur les perspectives canadiennes (SEPC) qui nous permet d'étudier les facteurs de préoccupation quant au stress et à la violence au sein de la famille au cours du premier confinement du COVID-19. Nous n'avons pas constaté que les changements apportés aux modalités de travail avaient une incidence sur la violence ou le stress au sein de la famille. Au contraire, nous avons trouvé que l'incapacité d'assumer les obligations financières et le souci de maintenir des liens sociaux étaient reliés de manière significative aux préoccupations quant au stress familial et à la violence familiale.

Short-Term Effect of COVID-19 on Self-Employed Workers in Canada.

Using the Canadian Labour Force Survey, we document the short-term impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on self-employed individuals in Canada, whom we interpret as small business owners. We document an important decrease in business ownership between February 2020 and May 2020 (-14.8 percent for incorporated and -10.1 percent for unincorporated entities). We find a substantial decrease in ownership and aggregate hours for women, immigrants, and less educated people over the same period. The occupational categories with the largest decrease are in art, culture, and recreation (-14.8 percent); in education, law, and social, community, and government services (-13.6 percent); and in sales and service occupations (-12.8 percent).

À l'aide de l'Enquête sur la population active au Canada, les auteurs documentent les répercussions à court terme de la maladie provoquée par le coronavirus 2019 (COVID 19) sur les travailleurs indépendants au Canada qui, interprètent-ils, regroupent les propriétaires de petites entreprises. Ils relèvent une importante diminution du nombre de propriétaires d'entreprises entre février 2020 et mai 2020 (−14,8 pour cent dans le cas des entités constituées en sociétés et 10,1 pour cent dans celui des entités non constituées en sociétés). Ils observent un fléchissement marqué dans la propriété et le total des heures travaillées chez les femmes, les immigrants et les personnes moins scolarisées au cours de la même période. Les secteurs d'activité présentant la diminution la plus importante sont ceux des arts, de la culture et des loisirs (−14,8 pour cent) ; de l'éducation, du droit et des services sociaux, communautaires et gouvernementaux (−13,6 pour cent) ; et des fonctions de vente et de services (−12,8 pour cent).