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National studies assessing the relation between medical and nonmedical use of prescription stimulants and other drug use are lacking. Investigators examined this issue in a multiracial/ethnic sample of 4500 12th-grade students (modal age, 18 years; 50% female) from the 2010 and 2011 Monitoring the Future surveys.
Overall, 9% of seniors reported lifetime medical use (with a doctor's prescription) of stimulants; 9% reported some nonmedical use (without a prescription); and 6% reported nonmedical use exclusively. Among students who were ever prescribed stimulants, 59% reported medical use only; 23% reported medical use before nonmedical use; and 18% reported nonmedical use before medical use. Nonmedical use was highest among racial/ethnic group…