information for practice

news & new scholarship from around the world

November 29, 2006

How Young Adults Obtain Prescription Pain Relievers for NonMedical Use

● In 2005, 12.4 percent of young adults aged 18 to 25 used prescription pain relievers nonmedically in the past year, and 1.7 percent met the criteria for past year prescription pain reliever dependence or abuse
● Among young adults aged 18 to 25 who used prescription pain relievers nonmedically in the past year, over half (53.0 percent) obtained them from a friend or relative for free when they last used pain relievers nonmedically
● Among young adults aged 18 to 25 who used prescription pain relievers nonmedically in the past year and met the criteria for prescription pain reliever dependence or abuse, 37.5 percent obtained the prescription pain relievers that they used most recently for nonmedical purposes for free from a friend or relative, 19.9 percent bought them from a friend or relative, and 13.6 percent obtained them from one doctor

Posted by Gary Holden at November 29, 2006 2:24 AM