title: Prescribing Some Criminological Theory: An Examination of the Illicit Use of Prescription Stimulants Among College Students.
abstract: Recent evidence indicates that the illicit use of prescription stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin is common across college campuses and in professions (e.g., trucking) where staying awake and focused is valued. Existing research has established use patterns and explored respondents' reasons for using these stimulants. Less is known, however, about whether or how well mainstream criminological theory explains this type of illegal activity. This article reports results from a survey (N = 484) of college students from a Midwestern university, examining whether measures of strain, self-control, and social learning predict the illicit use of prescription stimulants. Measures from social learning and social control theories were significant predictors of illicit use of prescription stimulants, whereas the measure of academic strain was not; the strongest predictor of illicit use of prescription stimulants was general deviance. Implications of these findings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota Duluth, USA jmaahs@d.umn.edu.
authors.forename: Jeffrey R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Maahs
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota Duluth, USA.
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Weidner
authors.affiliation: Financial Assistance Specialist Supervisor, Anoka County, Andover, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota; D011582:Psychological Theory; D013334:Students; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D013287:Illicit Drugs
keywords: college students; criminological theory; illicit use; prescription stimulants