The relationship between economic conditions and substance abuse is ambiguous. Several studies have found that tighter budgets during economic crises impacted drinking behaviors, including less alcohol consumption, with people switching to cheaper products and drinking at home rather than drinking at bars [4,5,6,7]. However, prior studies have documented that economic downturns, along with their related stresses such as job loss, are associated with increased problematic drinking [8, 9]. There is also evidence that unemployment is strongly associated with problematic substances use, including the use of alcohol, marijuana, and illicit drugs [10]. An international study from Australia found that economic downturns were significantly associated with the frequency of marijuana use among young adults, and a procyclical relationship was found for the frequency of drinking [5].
https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-020-02981-7