ABSTRACT
The prevalence of non-medical prescription drug use (NMPDU) is now greater than the prevalence of illicit drugs other than marijuana. Persons aged 18–25 report the highest prevalence of misuse, with males and females misusing at comparable rates. This narrower gender-gap in NMPDU runs counter to data on the misuse of illicit drugs and alcohol, which indicate men using at higher rates. Research to date has provided little context surrounding this narrower gender-gap in NMPDU and has not adequately addressed what role gender plays in NMPDU. Using interviews with seventy-six college students this research utilizes a gendered paradigm of offending to uncover how gender conditions the context of offending in NMPDU. Women’s NMPDU is linked to “beauty and care” and men’s to “fun and flair.”
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Kristin A. Cutler
KRISTIN A. CUTLER is currently a Teaching Fellow at Washington State University where she received her Ph.D. in 2013. Her research interests are in the area of crime/deviance with a particular interest in adolescent and young adult well-being and risky behaviors, especially with respect to substance use and abuse. She is also a yoga practitioner who aims to bring this positive practice to the at-risk populations that she studies.