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Nonmedical use of prescription opioids (using someone else’s opioid medication or taking one’s own solely for the experience) is increasing in the U.S., as are opioid-related emergency-department visits and deaths. Two recent cross-sectional studies examined nonmedical use of pain relievers in adults and adolescents. Both studies analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which uses computer-assisted interviews to survey a nationally representative sample of civilian, noninstitutionalized individuals.
The first study, using 2002–2004 NSDUH data from 91,804 adults (age range, 18–80), found a 4.5% rate of nonmedical opioid use in the previous year. Of these users, 12.9% met criteria for abuse or dependence. Nonpresc…