Nonmedical use of prescription stimulants in the United States.
OBJECTIVE
This study estimated prevalences and correlates of stimulant diversion in the United States and examined relationships between diversion and measures of abuse or dependence.


METHODS
We conducted descriptive and multivariate analysis of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Key measures were nonmedical use (misuse) of any prescription stimulant, any stimulant other than methamphetamine, and stimulants indicated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).


RESULTS
Lifetime stimulant misuse included some misuse of longer-acting ADHD drugs. The majority of past-year misuse involved drugs other than methamphetamine, particularly for youth aged 12-17. Past year misuse was more prevalent among persons aged 12-25, compared with older adults, and among Whites, compared with other groups. Prevalences in large metropolitan areas were lower than or similar to those in less populated areas. About 13% of past-year stimulant misusers met the survey criteria for dependence or abuse, as did about 10% of persons aged 12-25 who misused only nonmethamphetamine stimulants.


CONCLUSIONS
Most stimulant misuse in the United States (particularly among youth) involved prescription drugs other than methamphetamine. The problem is not limited to metropolitan areas.
Kroutil
Larry A
LA
RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA. lak@rti.org
Van Brunt
David L
DL
Herman-Stahl
Mindy A
MA
Heller
David C
DC
Bray
Robert M
RM
Penne
Michael A
MA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine; D015995:Prevalence; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008694:Methamphetamine