Risky behaviors, nonmedical use of stimulants assessed.(ADULT PSYCHIATRY)

SAN DIEGO -- Attitudes and risky behaviors related to nonmedical use of prescription stimulants and painkillers among college students differ by the number of substances used but not by the type of drug used.

In addition, nonmedical users of two prescription drugs reported more drug dependence symptoms compared with users of one drug.

Those are key findings from a large survey of college students presented during a poster session at the annual scientific conference of the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Led by Miriam Fenton, formerly of the Brown University Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Providence, R.I., the study was designed to the assess the effect of the type and number of prescription drugs used nonmedically on attitudes toward prescription medications and the consequences of nonmedical use.

Ms. Fenton and her fellow researchers asked a random sample of 1,299 undergraduate students at a 4-year private university in the United States to complete a self-administered Web-based survey

Respondents were defined as nonmedical users of prescription drugs if they endorsed one of the following factors when asked about prescription painkillers or prescription stimulants: did not obtain them from a physician; forged the prescription; feigned symptoms; used recreationally; nonoral administration; preferred a prescription stimulant because it is easier to crush; or took more than the recommended dose.

Of the 1,299 respondents, 9% reported nonmedical use of prescription stimulants, 6% reported use of prescription painkillers, and 10% reported use of both.

Attitudes varied by the number of prescription drugs used, the researchers reported.

For example, compared with non-users of prescription drugs, respondents who used both prescription painkillers and prescription stimulants were significantly more likely to regard prescription drugs as easy to hide and transport, not harmful, and cheap.

In addition, compared with respondents who used either prescription painkillers or prescription stimulants, those who used both agents "were significantly more likely to report regretting their actions, blacking out, taking other drugs, not wearing a seatbelt, driving under the influence, and being a passenger in a car with an intoxicated driver," the researchers wrote in their abstract.

No significant differences in risky behaviors were seen between respondents who used prescription stimulants and those who used prescription painkillers.

Tolerance and withdrawal were the most commonly reported drug dependence symptoms, but there were no differences in dependence symptoms between respondents who used prescription stimulants and those who used prescription painkillers.

The researchers hope that the findings "can be used to develop prevention and treatment interventions for nonmedical prescription stimulant and prescription painkiller use among college students."

Funding for the study was provided by Brown University's Master of Public Health Program.

Ms. Fenton is currently at the department of epidemiology at Columbia University, New York.

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