Authors: Reginald V. Fant, Yolanda Green, Sidney H. Schnoll, Jack E. Henningfield, Michelle D. Ertischek, Edward J. Cone

Meeting: College on Problems of Drug Dependence, 69th Annual Meeting

Date: June 16 – 21, 2007

Quebec City, Canada

Data from the NSDUH and other federal surveys have shown an increase in the non-medical use of prescription drugs over the past 10 years.  In a Congressional hearing in July 2006, the Honorable Mark E. Souder said, "Prescription drug abuse today is second only to marijuana abuse." This statement was picked up by both print and electronic media giving the impression that all prescription drug abuse is alike.  Data from the NSDUH show that combining all prescription drug abuse together is misleading. While rates of lifetime, non-medical use of prescription pain relievers in persons 12 and older in years 2002 to 2005 increased from 12.6 to 13.4%, non-medical use of stimulants in this survey decreased from 9 to 7.8%, and rates of tranquilizers and sedatives remained constant at 8.4% and 4.1%, respectively.  In addition there are differences in non-medical use in past year, past month and for the various age groups.  Differences in rates of annual reporting of various drugs and classes are also noted in DAWN-ED mentions.  There is also wide variation in reports from the participating metropolitan areas and by specific drugs.  In Monitoring the Future, reported rates of abuse of OxyContin and Vicodin are increasing, while reported rates for Ritalin and amphetamines remain flat.  These differences are missed when broad statements are made about trends in non-medical use of prescription drugs, without differentiating drug classes. Collapsing all non-medical of use of prescription drugs together may get headlines, but it does not help in understanding the problems and issues involved that will lead to the development and implementation of strategies to address non-medical use of the specific drug classes.  Data from federal surveys are presented demonstrating that non-medical use of prescription drugs is not a uniform problem along with strategies to address the problems associated with this use of prescription drugs.