Prescription Drug Abuse Among College Students

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this R03 application "Prescription Drug Abuse Among College Students" is to improve the understanding of nonmedical use and diversion of prescription drugs among college students. Several sources provide evidence that the nonmedical use of prescription drugs is increasing among young adults, most notably among college students. According to 2002 national data, young adults ages 18-25 have the highest rate of nonmedical use of abusable prescription drugs in the United States. In fact, the nonmedical use of several abusable prescription drugs has increased significantly among college students while the national prevalence of heavy episodic drinking among college students has remained steady for the past decade. The prevalence and severity of prescription drug abuse will remain a problem until more is understood about this behavior. A cross-sectional, Web-based survey will be used with a random sample of approximately 5,000 traditional-aged undergraduate students in which students are asked to provide detailed information about nonmedical use and diversion of prescription drugs. The proposed project is expected to provide the necessary data to submit a well-informed R01 proposal to examine prescription abuse on multiple college campuses. The proposed study aims to: 1) Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the prevalence of nonmedical use of prescription drugs among undergraduate college students; 2) Assess the consequences associated with the nonmedical use of prescription drugs; 3) Assess the prevalence of diversion of prescription medications by college students; 4) Determine the correlates associated with nonmedical use and diversion of prescription drugs in terms of demographic characteristics and substance use behaviors.