CDC Survey Finds that 1 in 5 High School Students Abuse Prescription Drugs
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July 16, 2010
One in five U.S. high school students report that they have taken a prescription drug without a doctor’s prescription, according to the 2009 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is the first year the survey assessed prescription drug abuse among high school students. The YRBS has been conducted every other year since 1991.
The survey asked students if they’d ever taken a prescription drug, such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, Adderall, Ritalin, or Xanax, without a doctor’s prescription. Prescription drug abuse was most common among white students (23 percent), followed by Hispanic students (17 percent) and then black students (12 percent). Prescription drug abuse was most common among 12th grade students (26 percent) and lowest among 9th grade students (15 percent). There was no difference in prescription drug abuse by gender (20 percent for both male and female students).
For more information, visit the CDC’s Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r100603.htm.