Use of Ephedra among Rural-Dwelling U.S. Adolescents

Abstract

Prior to 2004, ephedra had been readily available to adolescents. Due to reports that use of ephedra produced a number of serious adverse consequences, including death, sales of the compound became illegal in the United States on April 12, 2004. Data are presented from a random sample of 156,050 students in grades 7 through 12 from 185 rural communities across the United States who completed the Community Drug and Alcohol Survey. This study provides a valuable epidemiological benchmark of reported rates of lifetime prevalence of ephedra by adolescents living in rural America before the sale of the drug became illegal (data were collected between 1996 and 2001). While there were small regional, racial, and gender differences, rates of adolescent use were, in general, very low. The highest rates of ephedra use were found among youth using other drugs, particularly stimulants. The study's limitations and implications are discussed.

Keywords:

• ephedrine
• ephedra
• adolescents
• rural
• drug use
• Community Drug and Alcohol Survey

Notes

Notes

1. “Adolescent Drug Use in Rural America” funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01 DA09349); PI was Ruth Edwards, Ph.D.

2. The following regional breakdowns are based on regions used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in its report on crime in the United States: West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon Utah, Washington, and Wyoming; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. This study did not include sampling in California or Utah due to inability to survey using the protocol specified by the project goals; i.e., consent without documentation.

3. The Community Drug and Alcohol Survey (CDAS) is based on the American Drug and Alcohol Survey and the Prevention Planning Survey, published by RMBSI, Inc., and used with permission.

4. The journal's style utilizes the category substance abuse as a diagnostic category. Substances are used or misused; living organisms are and can be abused, and all too often do abuse others. Editor's note.