Alcohol-Related Problems Among Younger Drinkers Who Misuse Prescription Drugs: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC)

ABSTRACT

The authors determined whether lifetime prescription drug misuse (PDM) associated with increased risks for alcohol-related problems among 18- to 34-year-old, NESARC respondents. Among 8222 “ever-drinkers,” 15.4% reported ever “misusing sedatives, tranquilizers, painkillers or stimulants … as prescriptions or from indirect sources.” Outcomes were within two alcohol-related problem domains, “risk-taking behaviors,” including driving while drinking, fights, injuries, and arrests, and “interpersonal troubles,” including problems with jobs, family, or friends. Among all drinkers and among alcohol-dependent and cannabis-using subsamples, those reporting PDM were significantly more likely to report alcohol-related “risk-taking behaviors” or “interpersonal troubles” than were those without PDM. In adjusted analysis, young age drinking onsets, and heavy and dependent drinking independently increased these risks. Results of this cross-sectional analysis support the need for longitudinal data to more clearly define the association between drinking problems and PDM, and which can support prevention, treatment, and harm-reduction efforts for younger, multisubstance users.

KEYWORDS:

• Alcohol-related problems
• prescription drug misuse
• young drinkers

This work was supported by Core Funds from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for the Youth Alcohol Prevention Center, Boston University School of Public Health, and Core Funds from the Statistical Coordinating Center, Boston University School of Public Health.

Notes

∗All differences in prevalence rates comparing items for “ever-drinkers” with PDM versus “ever-drinkers” without PDM were significant at P values < .001.

∗Adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, family history of alcoholism and of drug abuse, smoking status, drinking age-of-onset, “heavy-drinking,” alcohol dependence (excluded as a variable in alcohol-dependent subsample), and cannabis use (excluded as a variable in cannabis user subsample).

∗Significant at P < .05.