One in 10 high school seniors has used a narcotic painkiller for non-medical reasons, according to a study by the Substance Abuse Research Center of the University of Michigan.
- Researchers collected data on opioid use among 12,441 American high school seniors to find out whether they used opioids and their reasons for using.
- Approximately 12.3 percent of students reported using opioids for non-medical reasons, and 8 percent reported using them within the last year.
- The top reasons reported by students for using opioids recreationally included to relax (56.4 percent), to feel good or get high (53.5 percent) and to experiment (52.4 percent)
- Additional reasons included to relieve physical pain (44.8 percent), or to have a good time with friends (29.5 percent).
- The study also found that students who used opioids only to relieve pain were less likely to drink or use other drugs.
Dr. Adam Bisaga, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and addiction psychiatrist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, stated that more than 90 percent of participating students reported using opioids for reasons other than to treat pain.
"That is, for their psychoactive effects, either to achieve euphoria or to relieve psychological distress. Not surprisingly, those who use opioids for their psychoactive effects were more likely to use other substances with addictive potential and show early signs of substance use disorder."
(Source: usnews.com)
Labels: high school kids, narcotic painkillers
Posted By: Teen Drug Help