Determinants of Drug Injection Behavior: Economic Factors, HIV Injection Risk and Needle Exchange Programs

This study examines the effects of local cocaine and heroin prices, AIDS rates, and needle exchange programs on drug injection and needle sharing by adult male arrestees in 24 large U.S. cities during 1989 1995. Regressions that control for personal characteristics including income, fixed city and year effects, and city-specific trends indicate that needle exchange programs decrease both injection and sharing. Increases in previous year AIDS prevalence reduce injection by both sharers and non-sharers, leaving the proportion of injectors who share unchanged. Higher cocaine prices lead to less cocaine injection and more sharing, but heroin prices do not effect injection or sharing.