Education and Drug Abuse: Different Groups Abuse Different Types Of Medications

Some studies suggest that more highly educated individuals are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. Yet recent findings published in the journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology reveal that some college graduates are at an increased risk of abusing certain stimulant drugs and pain killers.

Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health examined data from high school graduates, non-graduates and college-attending counterparts.

They then compared the use of prescription opioids and stimulants among other young adults who did not attend college. Findings revealed that uneducated individuals were significantly more likely to abuse nonmedical prescription opioid pills. However, college-graduates were much more likely to abuse stimulant medications than counterparts.

Researchers also found that the issue was stronger in women. There was a stronger link between educational level and prescription drug use disorder in female participants than male participants, overall.

"Our findings clearly show there is a need for young adult prevention and intervention programs to target nonmedical prescription drug use beyond college campuses," said first study author Dr. Silvia S. Martins, MD, PhD, Mailman School of Public Health associate professor of Epidemiology, in a news release.

While a large proportion of young adults, ages 18 to 22, are prescribed opiates, non-medical use of opioids is second only to marijuana as the most prevalent form of illegal drug use among young adults.

"This age group is particularly vulnerable to the development of adverse substance using patterns, due in part to the process of identity formation that emerges at this developmental stage," noted Martins.

"More than 40 percent of the nonmedical prescription opioid and stimulant users identified in our data who initiated use of these drugs at 18 years of age or younger went on to develop prescription opioid and stimulant disorders," Martins concluded. "Therefore, prevention messages targeting young adult users of these drugs without a prescription are crucial to prevent escalation to either of these syndromes."

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