This study investigated prescription drug misuse and nonmedical use among college students. The researchers surveyed 288 students about their prescription drug and substance use behaviors. They found that 7.3% reported misusing prescription drugs and 16.7% reported nonmedical prescription drug use. Stimulants and painkillers were the most commonly misused drugs, while stimulants were the most commonly used nonmedically. The study also found associations between nonmedical prescription drug use and binge drinking and smoking, but not between prescription drug misuse and these behaviors. The researchers concluded that prescription drug misuse and nonmedical use may be linked to other risky health behaviors in college students.

1. Prescription for risky behavior: Associations between using prescription drugs
and gateway drug use in a sample of college students
Abigail Kendall; Corinne Smith; Somya Lalwani; Denisse Almaguer;
Rylee Lopez; Christine L. Hackman, PhD
• Definitions: Prescription drug misuse: use of a …………..
….prescription drug other than directed …………….
Nonmedical drug use: use of a prescription
......................drug as an illicit drug
• Prescription drug misuse and nonmedical use is a
growing concern across university campuses as the
prevalence has increased in recent years.
• Incorrectly using prescription drugs can lead to negative
health consequences and may promote participation in
risky behavior. Little research has investigated the link
between “gateway” drug use and prescription drug
misuse and nonmedical use.
The purposes of this study were,
1) To identify the percentage of different classes of
prescription drug misuse and nonmedical misuse
among college students,
2) To identify associations between prescription drug
misuse or nonmedical misuse and gateway drug
(alcohol, tobacco) use.
• The present study utilized a quantitative, cross-
sectional design (n=288) with online delivery of survey
research.
• In Spring 2016, instructors at a public university in the
Western United States emailed the link to an online
survey that asked about risky behaviors (prescription
drugs, tobacco, gambling, academic dishonesty, sexual
behaviors) to students in their classes.
• Participant recruitment occurred during class time, and
the anonymous online data was collected over three
weeks.
•A total of 288 students completed the survey, with 7.3%
reporting misuse, and 16.7% reporting nonmedical use.
•23% of college students reported filling a prescription
stimulant, painkiller, antidepressant, or sedative within the
last year. Of those with a prescription, 30.9% reported
misusing their prescription within the last year.
Table 1. Percentages of Misuse and Nonmedical Use
Background
Methods
Results
•This study found that misuse of non-medical drugs was more
common than misuse of prescription drugs.
•Our study is consistent with literature on associations between
nonmedical drug misuse and binge drinking, and smoking
•Prescription drug misuse and nonmedical misuse likely have
different motivations behind them, as well as different subgroups
of people engaging in the two separate behaviors.
•This study’s subjects could also have been from primary target
groups of students known to abuse prescription drugs and alcohol
more frequently than other groups.
•These potentially risky behaviors may be linked to other negative
health behaviors in college students, and warrant further
investigation.
Conclusions References
Category of
Prescription
# Misused (%) # Non-Medical Use
(%)
Stimulant 4 (1.4%) 39 (13.5%)
Painkiller 12 (4.2%) 11 (3.8%)
Antidepressant 4 (1.4%) 0 (0%)
Sedative 4 (1.4) 16 (5.6%)
Total: 21 (7.3%) 48 (16.7%)
•15 (5.2%) participants reported currently smoking cigarettes
either everyday or some days.
•157 (55.1%) participants reported binge drinking at least
once in the last two weeks before the survey.
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Table 2. Chi Square Results for Misuse and Nonmedical Use
Variables Pearson Chi
Square
P-value
Binge Drinking * Misuse .793 0.417
Smoking * Misuse .524 0.688
Binge Drinking * Nonmedical Use 21.460 <0.001
Smoking * Nonmedical Use 28.065 <0.001
Values significant at p<.05