Opioid Crisis Effects On Municipal Finance

Journal article

Kimberly Rodgers Cornaggia, John Hund, Giang Nguyen, Zihan Ye
Review of Financial Studies, vol. 35(4), 2022, pp. 2019-2066

DOI: 10.1093/rfs/hhab066

Cite

APA Click to copy
Cornaggia, K. R., Hund, J., Nguyen, G., & Ye, Z. (2022). Opioid Crisis Effects On Municipal Finance. Review of Financial Studies, 35(4), 2019–2066. https://doi.org/10.1093/rfs/hhab066

Chicago/Turabian Click to copy
Cornaggia, Kimberly Rodgers, John Hund, Giang Nguyen, and Zihan Ye. “Opioid Crisis Effects On Municipal Finance.” Review of Financial Studies 35, no. 4 (2022): 2019–2066.

MLA Click to copy
Cornaggia, Kimberly Rodgers, et al. “Opioid Crisis Effects On Municipal Finance.” Review of Financial Studies, vol. 35, no. 4, 2022, pp. 2019–66, doi:10.1093/rfs/hhab066.

BibTeX Click to copy

@article{kimberly2022a,
  title = {Opioid Crisis Effects On Municipal Finance},
  year = {2022},
  issue = {4},
  journal = {Review of Financial Studies},
  pages = {2019-2066},
  volume = {35},
  doi = {10.1093/rfs/hhab066},
  author = {Cornaggia, Kimberly Rodgers and Hund, John and Nguyen, Giang and Ye, Zihan}
}

Abstract
We investigate the effects of opioid abuse on municipal finance. We employ instrumental variables, border discontinuity difference-in-differences regressions, and coarsened exact matching to identify consistent causal effects, while controlling for variation in economic conditions and demographics. Opioid abuse lowers credit ratings, increases new offer yields, and reduces bond issuance. Reversal of these effects following effective antiopioid legislation further supports causality. Differential effects due to investor heterogeneity suggest that opioid abuse affects municipal finance through a capital supply channel. Overall, we conclude that local opioid abuse impedes municipalities’ access to capital and thus hurts their ability to provide public services and infrastructure.

Radio interview on an early version here.