Effects of increasing income on polydrug use: a comparison of heroin, cocaine and alcohol abusers

Aims. To assess how income affects hypothetical drug and nan-drug purchasin g decisions. Participants and setting. Ninety-four subjects (26 heroin abus ers, 28 cocaine abusers, 15 alcohol abusers and 25 non-drug using controls) were recruited from advertisements. Intervention. Subjects were exposed to six conditions in which they "purchased" drugs as well as food, housing, a nd entertainment as income rose from $30 to $560 per day. Findings. Heroin abusers selected significantly more hypothetical heroin and cocaine as inco me rose and demand for these two drugs was income elastic, with purchases r ising in greater proportion than income. Cocaine abusers significantly incr eased purchases of, and showed income elastic demand for, cocaine and alcoh ol. Among alcohol abusers, significant increases in purchases and income el astic demand mere found for alcohol and cigarettes, but not for other drugs . Across all four groups, demand for rent and food were income inelastic, s uch that purchases did nor rise in proportion to the changes in income, whi le demand for entertainment was income elastic. Hypothetical choices were r eliable between and within subjects, and drug choices were correlated with urinalysis results and life-time years of drug use. Conclusions. Income is an important variable in understanding choices for drug and non-drug commod ities across a variety of substance-abusing populations.