Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #102413

Linda Simoni-Wastila, PhD¹, Jerry T. Lawler, PhD², and Ashley Slagle, MA¹. (1) Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 515 West Lombard Street, Room 275, Baltimore, MD 21201, 410-706-4352, lsimoniw@rx.umaryland.edu, (2) Office of Substance Abuse Studies, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 515 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201

In recent years, young adults have increasingly used abusable prescription drugs as substances of choice. Little is known about this phenomenon and the extent to which non-medical prescription drug use (NMPDU) occurs in isolation or with other substances. The purpose of this study is twofold: 1) to provide national estimates of NMPDU, alone and in conjunction with heavy/binge alcohol and other illicit substances; and 2) to examine variation in sociodemographic factors associated with NMPDU. Using the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, we estimated the prevalence and probability of NMPDU, along and in conjunction with alcohol and illicit substances, controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, household income, educational attainment, and employment status. More than 3.1 million young adults, or 14.2% of the U.S. population aged 18-25 years of age, reported at least one instance of NMPDU. Among users, only 5.6% reported that the only substance they used was a prescribed medicine. Poly-use of prescription drugs with other substances was common, with 22.2% reporting concomitant binge and/or heavy alcohol use, 1.2% reporting concomitant illicit substance use, and 71.1% reporting NMPDU in conjunction with both illicit substances and binge/heavy alcohol. Male gender, non-Hispanic ethnicity and white race were significantly associated with a greater likelihood of any NMPDU, NMPDU alone, and NMPDU in conjunction with alcohol and illicit substances. This analysis suggests that NMPDU among this age group is significant, and that such use is most common in conjunction with alcohol and illicit substances use.

Learning Objectives:

• To document the prevalence of non-medical use and abuse/dependency of prescription drugs with addiction potential in young adults.
• To understand patterns of use of abusable presription drugs, alone and in conjunction with alcohol and illicit substances
• To explore prevention strategies aimed at reducing use of prescription drugs with addiction potential.

Keywords: Drug Abuse, Prescription Drug Use Patterns

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation