Use of Ephedra Among Rural-Dwelling U.S. Adolescents

• NCJ Number: 219355
• Journal: Substance Use & Misuse Volume: 42 Issue: 6 Dated: 2007 Pages: 949-959
• Author(s): Kimberly L. Henry; Ruth W. Edwards; Eugene R. Oetting
• Date Published: 2007
• Length: 11 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This study provides data on rural American adolescents' lifetime use of ephedra/ephedrine, a stimulant structurally similar to amphetamine, before the sale of the drug in various products became illegal (data were collected between 1996 and 2001).

Abstract

Reported lifetime use of ephedra/ephedrine was low in this sample; only 0.80 percent of the students reported that they had ever used the drug. Ephedra and ephedrine-containing compounds are somewhat effective in reducing appetite and producing weight loss, so it might be expected that they would be attractive to some adolescent females. In addition, ephedra and ephedrine are stimulants and generally produce feelings of increased liveliness, excitement, and enhanced well-being. Despite the low prevalence of ephedra/ephedrine use among the rural adolescents in the sample, there is still cause for concern. Finding that adolescents who are using stimulants are the most likely ones to use ephedra/ephedrine also indicate that the compound is probably being used by adolescents primarily to get high. Since ephedra and ephedrine are relatively weak stimulants, it would follow that adolescents who are using the drug to get high are likely to be taking large doses. This may account for many of the sentinel cases of serious adverse reactions among young users. Data were collected from 7th-12th graders in a sample of 185 rural communities within the contiguous United States, excluding California, Utah, and Washington, DC. The final sample consisted of 156,050 youth equally divided by gender and ethnically diverse. Data were collected from students in all classrooms on the day of the study. The students were asked, "Have you ever tried ephedrine (ephedra, etc.)?" They were instructed to mark "no" if they did not know what ephedra/ephedrine was. Students were also asked about their use of other specified drugs. 1 table, 2 figures, and 13 references