The role of friends in the US opioid epidemic is examined. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health), adults aged 25-34 and their high school best friends are focused on. An instrumental variable technique is employed to estimate peer effects in opioid...

Background Earlier studies have estimated the impact of increased body mass index (BMI) on healthcare costs. Various methods have been used to avoid potential biases and inconsistencies. Each of these methods measure different local effects and have different strengths and weaknesses. Methods In...