Behavioral economics of drug self-administration and drug abuse policy.

Bauman (1991) wrote a theory paper. It says we should use behavioral-economics ideas to study drug use.

The paper lists rules like price, amount, and delay. These rules change how much a drug is worth to the user.

The goal is to guide future studies and public laws, not to test one treatment.

The paper finds that drug taking is shopping. People buy highs the same way they buy snacks.

If the price goes up, use drops. If the high comes faster, value rises. These facts can shape city and clinic rules.

Trusty et al. (2021) extends the same rules to depression. They say sunk-cost and default bias keep adults from seeking help. Both papers use price, effort, and delay to explain choices.

Eagle (1985) came first. It also asked behavior analysts to wed economics, but it looked at big markets, not drug abuse. Bauman (1991) narrows the lens to one public-health problem.

Fraley (1998) nods to the plan. It says behavior analysts already own the tools—choice, rules, equivalence—to study decisions. Bauman (1991) adds the price tag.

You can plug these price rules into your intake today. Ask: What is the client paying in time, money, or social risk to get the drug? Raise that cost or drop the reward delay for clean behavior. City teams can do the same: tax, limit hours, add wait time. The paper gives you a ready ruler for both clinic and policy work.