Journal article
Initiation into prescription opioid misuse amongst young injection drug users
The International journal of drug policy, v 23(1)
Jan 2012
PMID: 21689917
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Prescription opioids are the most frequently misused class of prescription drugs amongst young adults. Initiation into prescription opioid misuse is an important public health concern since opioids are increasingly associated with drug dependence and fatal overdose. Descriptive data about initiation into prescription opioid misuse amongst young injection drug users (IDUs) are scarce.
An exploratory qualitative study was undertaken to describe patterns of initiation into prescription opioid misuse amongst IDUs aged 16–25 years. Those young IDUs who had misused a prescription drug at least three times in the past three months were recruited during 2008 and 2009 in Los Angeles (n=25) and New York (n=25). Informed by an ethno-epidemiological approach, descriptive data from a semi-structured interview guide were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively.
Initiation into prescription opioid misuse was facilitated by easy access to opioids via participant's own prescription, family, or friends, and occurred earlier than misuse of other illicit drugs, such as heroin. Nearly all transitioned into sniffing opioids, most injected opioids, and many initiated injection drug use with an opioid. Motives for transitions to sniffing and injecting opioids included obtaining a more potent high and/or substituting for heroin; access to multiple sources of opioids was common amongst those who progressed to sniffing and injecting opioids.
Prescription opioid misuse was a key feature of trajectories into injection drug use and/or heroin use amongst this sample of young IDUs. A new pattern of drug use may be emerging whereby IDUs initiate prescription opioid misuse before using heroin.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Initiation into prescription opioid misuse amongst young injection drug users
- Creators
- Stephen E Lankenau - Drexel University, School of Public Health, Department of Community Health and Prevention, 1505 Race Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19102, United StatesMichelle Teti - University of Missouri, School of Health Professions, 506A Lewis Hall, Columbia, MO 65211, United StatesKarol Silva - Drexel University, School of Public Health, Department of Community Health and Prevention, 1505 Race Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19102, United StatesJennifer Jackson Bloom - Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Division of Research on Children, Youth and Families, 6430 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1500, Los Angeles, CA 90028, United StatesAlex Harocopos - National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 71 West 23rd Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10010, United StatesMeghan Treese - Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Division of Research on Children, Youth and Families, 6430 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1500, Los Angeles, CA 90028, United States
- Publication Details
- The International journal of drug policy, v 23(1)
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Community Health and Prevention
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000298454900013
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-82655172568
- Other Identifier
- 991014878158204721
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- Collaboration types
- Industry collaboration
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Substance Abuse