Cited by 440Opioid Use Disorder TreatmentHIV, Drug Use, Sexual RiskSubstance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

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Initiation into prescription opioid misuse amongst young injection drug users

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Lankenau, Stephen E., Teti, Michelle, Silva, Karol, Bloom, Jennifer Jackson, Harocopos, Alex, Treese, Meghan·2012·International Journal of Drug Policy

DOI 10.1016/j.drugpo.2011.05.014PMC PMC3196821

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Abstract

Background Prescription opioids are the most frequently misused class of prescription drugs amongst young adults. Initiation into prescription opioid misuse is an important public health concern since opioids are increasingly associated with drug dependence and fatal overdose. Descriptive data about initiation into prescription opioid misuse amongst young injection drug users (IDUs) are scarce.Methods An exploratory qualitative study was undertaken to describe patterns of initiation into prescription opioid misuse amongst IDUs aged 16-25 years. Those young IDUs who had misused a prescription drug at least three times in the past three months were recruited during 2008 and 2009 in Los Angeles (n=25) and New York (n=25). Informed by an ethno-epidemiological approach, descriptive data from a semi-structured interview guide were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively.Results Initiation into prescription opioid misuse was facilitated by easy access to opioids via participant's own prescription, family, or friends, and occurred earlier than misuse of other illicit drugs, such as heroin. Nearly all transitioned into sniffing opioids, most injected opioids, and many initiated injection drug use with an opioid. Motives for transitions to sniffing and injecting opioids included obtaining a more potent high and/or substituting for heroin; access to multiple sources of opioids was common amongst those who progressed to sniffing and injecting opioids.Conclusion Prescription opioid misuse was a key feature of trajectories into injection drug use and/or heroin use amongst this sample of young IDUs. A new pattern of drug use may be emerging whereby IDUs initiate prescription opioid misuse before using heroin.

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“Reports of PO injection have risen worldwide, including in the United States (Davis and Johnson, 2008; Young et al., 2010; Surrat et al., 2011; Lankenau et al., 2012; Black et al., 2013; MateuGelabert et al., 2015), Europe (Partanen et al.”
Influential
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BackgroundResult
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“Family structure was described in a total of 10 studies (Donaldson, Nakawaki, & Crano, 2015; Lankenau et al., 2012; Monnat & Rigg, 2016; Nakawaki & Crano, 2012; Pugatch, Knight, McGuiness, Sherritt, & Levy, 2014; Silva et al., 2013; Spoth et al., 2013; Sussman et al., 2012; Walker et al., 2014;…”
BackgroundInfluential
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“, 2018), which is often a precursor for heroin use (Lankenau et al., 2012).”
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Prevention and Treatment of Sex Addiction
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Authors: Lankenau, S. E., Teti, M., Silva, K., Bloom, J. J., Harocopos, A., & Treese, M.
Affiliations: Drexel University (US)
University of Missouri (US)
Children's Hospital Los Angeles (US)
National Development and Research Institutes (US)
Corresponding author: Lankenau, Stephen E.
ORCID: Lankenau, Stephen E.
Teti, Michelle
Silva, Karol
Harocopos, Alex
Venue: International Journal of Drug Policy
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2012-01
Volume: 23
Issue: 1
Pages: 37-44
ISSN: 0955-3959 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2011.05.014
PMC: PMC3196821
OpenAlex: W2128960742
Cited by: 440
References: 71
Citations by year: 2026: 5 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 84 · 2019: 46 · 2018: 35 · 2017: 34 · 2016: 33 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 11
FWCI: 20.73
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations: International Journal of Drug Policy (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders: National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA021299)
Topics: Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk
Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
Keywords: prescription opioid misuse, intravenous drug use, young adults, opioid initiation, heroin use, substance use trajectories, opioid access, drug addiction, opioid overdose, illicit drug use
MeSH terms: Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Adult, Age Factors, Analgesics, Opioid, Heroin, Family, Family Health, Female, Humans, Male, Opioid-Related Disorders, New York City, Surveys and Questionnaires, Los Angeles, Substance Abuse, Intravenous, Friends, Prescription Drugs, Young Adult, Drug-Seeking Behavior

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Initiation into prescription opioid misuse amongst young injection drug users

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