Opioid control laws linked to 10% drop in domestic violence cases

A recent study conducted by the University of South Florida suggests that policies aimed at controlling opioid use may have broader public health benefits, including a decrease in instances of domestic violence. As authorities continue to address the opioid crisis, this research emphasizes the importance of utilizing data to shape effective public policies.

The study, led by USF doctoral student Minglu Sun and Andrei Barbos, an associate professor of economics, highlights the far-reaching impact of opioid abuse on society.

Published in Health Economics, the research examines the effects of Mandatory Access Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs on the prevalence of domestic violence. These programs require healthcare providers to check a centralized database before prescribing opioids, thereby preventing patients from obtaining multiple prescriptions from different sources. The implementation of these programs across various states in the early 2010s was prompted by recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies as a crucial measure to combat opioid misuse.

“The phased introduction of these programs nationwide provided a unique opportunity to assess their effects over time and across different regions, enabling us to isolate the impact of these opioid control initiatives on domestic violence prevalence from other factors like economic conditions, concurrent policy changes, or broader crime trends,” explained Barbos.

Using data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System spanning from 2007 to 2019, Sun and Barbos developed models that accounted for dynamic variables such as demographics, income, unemployment, health status, insurance coverage, and other overlapping regulations, including legalized marijuana.

The study revealed that these opioid control programs not only curbed misuse but also led to a 10% reduction in the prevalence of simple assaults, which constitute nearly 75% of domestic violence incidents in the dataset. Simple assaults are typically defined as attempts to cause physical harm to another person without the use of a weapon or resulting in serious injury.

The impact was most pronounced in states with high rates of opioid prescriptions. According to the CDC, southern states consistently report elevated prescription rates, further underscoring the link between opioid availability and domestic violence.

Barbos noted, “Previous public health literature has noted a correlation between opioid consumption and domestic violence, but establishing a causal relationship is crucial. This study establishes that causal link and provides policymakers with evidence of additional positive outcomes from opioid control policies, which may also inform strategies to address the current fentanyl crisis.”