In this “working paper” (which means it has not been subjected to peer review), the authors propose an interesting hypothesis: “Deaths of despair” (DOD) are connected to reduced religious participation which may have resulted from the repeal of “blue laws.” They point to the fact that the rise in DOD happened earlier than 1999, beginning in the early 1990s. Using survey data from the 1970s forward, the authors document the religious decline that began before the 1990s, especially for white, middle-aged Americans. Other researchers have focused on drug availability, such as OxyContin, as the driver of opioid overdose deaths (part of DOD). However, prior to OxyContin introduction in 1996, there were already 15% more excess deaths compared to earlier trends. The authors point to the role of religious participation (versus religious belief) in overall health.
Following a Supreme Court ruling in 1961, many states began repealing “blue laws” (laws which restrict commerce on Sundays). “Upon the repeal of blue laws, there was an increase in the opportunity cost of attending religious services on Sundays” (p. 14). In order words, people could replace church attendance with shopping on Sundays.
They found that repeal of blue laws coincided with reduced levels of religious participation, particularly for middle-aged adults. “States that experienced larger decreases in religiosity have had the largest gains in the rate of deaths of despair” (p. 31) and the decline is due to reduced religious participation rather than changes in beliefs or activities like prayer. In terms of DOD, they found these deaths coincided with repeals of blue laws.
Takeaway: keep in mind that they are correlating one thing with another. This study did not directly assess the religious participation of people who eventually died from DOD.
Giles, T., Hungerman, D. M., & Oostrom, T. (2023, January). Opiates of the masses? Deaths of despair and the decline of American religion. (Working paper No. 30840). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w30840.
©Jennie Dilworth, Ph.D