Sex Differences in Over-the-Counter Drug Use Among Youth

Over-the-counter (OTC) drug use presents a significant public health concern to US adolescents. An estimated 1 in 10 youth report using OTC drugs to intentionally get high. Negative outcomes associated with OTC use include unintentional poisoning, seizures, psychological addictions, physical addictions, criminal involvement, lowered educational attainment, unsafe sexual practices, and relationship difficulties. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine OTC drug use among 7th through 12th grade students from 133 schools in one greater metropolitan area. A primary aim of this study was to identify sex differences of OTC drug use among students. The PRIDE Questionnaire which assesses students' involvement in substance use was distributed to 54,361 students in their classrooms. Results indicated that 10% of youth reported using OTC drugs within their lifetime. Regarding sex differences, male youth were at increased odds of reporting lifetime use of OTC drugs than female youth. Findings from this study highlight and underscore OTC drugs as an increasing significant health issue among youth. Health professionals and prevention specialists may benefit from the present study's findings which can be used to tailor prevention programs to students.