Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

States across the country have responded to the opioid epidemic by increasing access to Naloxone, a drug that can help save lives when administered during an overdose. However, Naloxone access may unintentionally increase opioid abuse because the catastrophic risk of death might have previously deterred risk-averse individuals from abusing these substances. Using jurisdiction-level panel data on crime and a difference-in-differences framework exploiting Naloxone access laws, we estimate that broadening Naloxone access increases opioid-related crimes. We also examine the impact of these laws on opioid-related drug overdoses and other outcomes. Together, our analyses shed light on the tradeoffs faced by policymakers in determining policies to curb the opioid overdose epidemic.