The economic shaping of substance abuse

It appears that economic factors have not been considered in examining the problem of substance abuse even though they have major implications. Economics must be seen as a major factor in the extrinsic system, interacting with other components of the extrinsic system as well as components of the intrinsic system. Without an understanding of this key factor, a complete picture cannot be derived. At this point, we can only hypothesize and propose conjectures as to what some of the ramifications might be. We would suggest that more formal studies, involving economic factors, be undertaken, since such studies could have major implications in a better understanding of the shaping of substance abuse.