Misuse of Prescription Drugs Common Among Students

Twenty percent of U.S. high-school students say they have taken prescription drugs without consulting a doctor, including one in four high-school seniors, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The biennial Youth Risk Behavioral Survey found that male and female students were equally apt to misuse prescription drugs like OxyContin, Vicodin, and Xanax, but white students were more likely to do so than Hispanics or black students.

Researchers also found that 72 percent of students reported they had used alcohol, 37 percent had used marijuana, 6.7 percent had used ecstasy, 6.4 percent had used cocaine, and 4.1 percent had tried methamphetamine.

To read the study, visit http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/ss/ss5905.pdf.