NCJ Number
228080
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 48 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2009 Pages: 828-836
Date Published
August 2009
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This investigation examined the sources that adolescents use to acquire medication for misuse, and the potential gender and ethnic differences in sources for prescription medication use by adolescents.
Abstract
Results of the study indicate that friends and relatives served as the most common source of medications for adolescents, with purchases from drug dealers and theft of medication, usually from friends or family, also somewhat common sources. Few adolescents used the Internet as a source of medication. Sex and ethnic differences were found predominantly for opioids. Female patients were more likely to steal medication or obtain it for free and male patients were more likely to purchase medication or acquire it from a physician. Results also indicate the White adolescents were more likely to purchase opioids; however, African-American adolescents were more likely to misuse opioids from a physician. The exploration of the phenomenon of adolescent prescription misuse has great public health importance, as it could inform the development of prevention programs for adolescents at higher risk for misuse and treatment for those adolescents who have initiated misuse. In this study, data were used from the 2005 and 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to examine sources for opioids, tranquilizers, and stimulants, sex or ethnic differences, and whether different sources corresponded to differences in other risk behaviors. Tables and references