Use of the Internet to Obtain Drugs Without a Prescription Among Treatment-Involved Adolescents and Young Adults

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2016

Abstract

Nonmedical use of prescription drugs is common and poses risks such as injury, overdose, and development of abuse and dependence. Internet pharmacies offer prescription drugs without a prescription, creating a source of illicit drugs accessible to anyone with an Internet connection. We examined this issue in a convenience sample of 1,860 adolescents and young adults from 24 residential and outpatient treatment programs. Few individuals obtained drugs from the Internet (N = 26, 2.3%). Pain relievers were the most frequently purchased type of drug. The majority of adolescents and young adult online purchasers made the purchases from their own or a friend's house. © 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Publication Title

Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse

First Page

1

Last Page

7

Comments

This article was published in Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse, 2016.

The published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1067828X.2015.1103345.

Copyright © 2016.

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