According to a study published Online First by Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, teenagers in the United States are more likely to use prescription pain relievers to get high or for other unapproved indications (extramedical use) during mid-adolescence.

Public health professionals, physicians and other prescribing clinicians, such as dentists acknowledge the recent increase in popularity of prescribing pain relievers. Prior studies have indicated that extramedical use of these drugs increases the rate of deaths due to overdose.

In order to identify when adolescents are most likely to start using prescription pain relievers for extramedical use, Elizabeth A. Meier, Ph.D. and her team at Michigan State University examined data from the 2004-2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

The researchers based their estimates on 119,877 participants aged between 12 to 21 years of age. Participants of the study reported that they had never used prescription pain relievers for extramedical use prior to the year they were evaluated for the survey.

The researchers said:

“We suspect that many physicians, other prescribing clinicians, and public health professionals will share our surprise that for youth in the United States, the peak risk of starting extramedical use of prescription pain relievers generally occurs before the final year of high school, not during the post-secondary school years.”

According to the researchers, estimates for each year between 2004-2008 show that approximately 1 in 60 adolescents start using prescription pain relievers for extramedical use. In addition, the team found that adolescents were more likely to start extramedical use around the age of 16 (1 in 30 adolescents).

The researchers conclude:

“With the peak risk at age 16 and a notable acceleration in risk between ages 13 and 14 years, any strict focus on college students or 12th graders might be an example of too little too late in the clinical practice sector and in public health work.

There is reason to strengthen earlier school-based prevention programs and early outreach along the lines of effective school-based alcohol and tobacco public health initiatives.”

Written By Grace Rattue