TY - JOUR
T1 - Sources of Pharmaceutical Opioids for Non-Medical Use among Young Adults
AU - Daniulaityte, Raminta
AU - Falck, Russel
AU - Carlson, Robert G.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Grant No. R01DA023577 (Carlson, PI). The NIDA had no further role in the study design, in the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data, in the writing of the report, or in the decision to submit the paper for publication.
PY - 2014/5
Y1 - 2014/5
N2 - The study uses qualitative and quantitative data to describe sources of pain pills for illicit use among young adult (18- to 23-year-old) users. Respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit 383 individuals in the Columbus, Ohio, area. The sample was almost 50% Caucasian and about 55% male. Qualitative interview participants (n = 45) were selected from the larger sample. Qualitative data suggest that pharmaceutical opioid availability was so pervasive that most individuals did not have to venture outside of their immediate social networks to find people who sold or shared pills. Participants emphasized differences between those who are actively involved in obtaining pills and those who play a more passive role. Active involvement was described as going out searching for pills and paying money to obtain them. In contrast, passive role included obtaining pills when somebody offered or shared them free of charge. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicates that a more active role in obtaining pharmaceutical opioids was related to being White, more frequent use of pharmaceutical opioids, extended-release oxycodone use, and using pharmaceutical opioids to get high, as opposed to self-treating a health problem. The study results can help inform drug use epidemiology, interventions, and policy.
AB - The study uses qualitative and quantitative data to describe sources of pain pills for illicit use among young adult (18- to 23-year-old) users. Respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit 383 individuals in the Columbus, Ohio, area. The sample was almost 50% Caucasian and about 55% male. Qualitative interview participants (n = 45) were selected from the larger sample. Qualitative data suggest that pharmaceutical opioid availability was so pervasive that most individuals did not have to venture outside of their immediate social networks to find people who sold or shared pills. Participants emphasized differences between those who are actively involved in obtaining pills and those who play a more passive role. Active involvement was described as going out searching for pills and paying money to obtain them. In contrast, passive role included obtaining pills when somebody offered or shared them free of charge. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicates that a more active role in obtaining pharmaceutical opioids was related to being White, more frequent use of pharmaceutical opioids, extended-release oxycodone use, and using pharmaceutical opioids to get high, as opposed to self-treating a health problem. The study results can help inform drug use epidemiology, interventions, and policy.
KW - mixed methods
KW - pharmaceutical opioid abuse
KW - qualitiative methods
KW - sources of diversion
KW - young adults
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U2 - 10.1080/02791072.2014.916833
DO - 10.1080/02791072.2014.916833
M3 - Article
C2 - 25052878
AN - SCOPUS:84904369667
SN - 0279-1072
VL - 46
SP - 198
EP - 207
JO - Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
JF - Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
IS - 3
ER -