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Opioid, sedative misuse reported by 10% of teens, young adults
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Nearly one in 10 young people treated in the ED report using nonmedical prescription opioids or nonmedical prescription sedatives in the past year, according to recent study findings published in Pediatrics.
“Additionally, young people using the ED had increased odds of [nonmedical prescription opioid use] if they received an intravenous opioid during their visit, or engaged in past-year substance abuse, whereas those with [nonmedical prescription sedative use] were more likely to have history of dating violence and substance use,” the researchers wrote.
The study included 2,135 participants aged 14 to 20 years presenting to the ED at the University of Michigan Medical Center between September 2010 and September 2011.
Researchers found that 10.4% of participants reported nonmedical prescription opioid use (NPOU) or nonmedical prescription sedative use (NPSU). Of those reporting NPOU (8.7%), 14.6% had a prescription for an opioid, and of those reporting NPSU (5.4%), 12.3% had a prescription for a sedative.
NPOU and NPSU were associated with other substance use, drinking and driving, or riding with a drinking driver. In addition, NPOU was associated with receiving an IV opioid in the ED, whereas NPSU was associated with dating violence, presenting to the ED for a non-injury complaint and previous ED visit within 1 year.
“These results suggest that the ED is an ideal location for both screening and intervention given this risk factor profile and ED visit characteristics associated with both NPOU and NPSU,” the researchers wrote. “Future directions include developing screening and intervention protocols to assist in identifying ED patients at risk for nonmedical use of prescription drugs regardless of their reason for ED presentation.”
Disclosure: The study was funded in part by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the NIH.
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