Getting high on the market: Stock price movements, drug abuse, and health implications

Abstract

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Using an international dataset, this letter finds that high stock returns are associated with increased death rates from drug use disorders. Although the out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare also rises following a stock market surge, the net effect on life expectancy is significantly negative.</span></p>