Youth Involvement in Over-the-Counter-Drug Use: An Increasing Problem

Over-the-counter (OTC) drug use is a significant health issue among US youth. Approximately 1 in 10 adolescents report engaging in OTC use for the purpose of getting high. Consequences of OTC use include unintentional poisoning, physical and psychological addictions, seizures, cardiovascular disorders, unsafe sexual practices, lower educational achievement and relationship difficulties. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine OTC use among students in 7th through 12th grades in one greater metropolitan area. Specifically, identifying risk and protective factors for OTC use was a primary goal of the study. A total of 54, 631 students in 133 schools in one metropolitan area participated. The PRIDE Questionnaire which assesses student involvement in substance use was used. Results indicated more than 10% of youth reported lifetime OTC use. Differences based on race/ethnicity were found with Hispanic youth more likely than white or African American youth to report lifetime use of OTCs. Logistic regression analyses found engaging in high levels of prosocial behaviors and having high levels of parent, teacher and school protective factors decreased the odds of use among males, females, 7th and 8th grade students and 9th through 12th grade students. Conversely, engaging in high levels of risky behaviors and having friends who used tobacco, alcohol, or marijuana increased the odds for use among students. Findings from this study highlight the increasing problem of over-the-counter drug use among youth. Prevention and health professionals may benefit from study findings which can be used to tailor educational initiatives to students.