# Presentation: 918240

## Abuse of Pain Relievers: Results from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)

**Joe Gfroerer**
** ****Office of Applied Studies**
**Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration**
**September 9, 2003**

## NSDUH Design

**Representative nationally and in each State**
**Civilian, noninstitutionalized population**
**Aged 12 or older**
**Anonymous face-to-face interview**
**Computer-assisted interviewing**
**Part self-administered**
**68,126 respondents in 2002**

## Impact of NSDUH Changes in 2002

**Increased reporting of substance use**
**Data not comparable with prior surveys**

## Nonmedical Prescription Drug Use: NSDUH Definition

**“****Not prescribed for you”**
**OR**
**“****You took the drug only for the experience or feeling it caused” **
**(Excludes OTC)**

## Pain Relievers Pillcard for 2002 NSDUH Questionnaire

**Pain Relievers Pillcard for ****2002 NSDUH Questionnaire**

## Lifetime Nonmedical Use of Selected Pain Relievers, Age 12 or Older: 2002

**Numbers (in Millions)**

**Darvocet****®****, Darvon****®****, or Tylenol****®**** with Codeine**

**Vicodin****®****, Lortab****®****, or Lorcet****®**

**Percocet****®****, Percodan****®****, or Tylox****®**

**®**

**®**

**®**

**®**

## Nonmedical Pain Reliever Use, Age 12 or Older: 2002

**Numbers (in Millions)**

**Lifetime Use**

**Past Year Dependence or Abuse**

**Past Month Use**

**Past Year Use**

## Illicit Drug Dependence or Abuse, Age 12 or Older: 2002

**Numbers (in Millions)**

## Lifetime Nonmedical Pain Reliever Use, by Age Group: 1965-2002

**Lifetime Nonmedical Pain Reliever Use, ****by Age Group: 1965-2002**

**Aged 18-25**

**Percent Using in Lifetime**

**Aged 12-17**

## Lifetime Nonmedical Use of OxyContin®, Age 12 or Older: 1999-2002

**Numbers (in Millions)**

**(0.1%)**

**(0.2%)**

**(0.4%)**

**(0.8%)**

## Annual Numbers of New Nonmedical Users of Pain Relievers: 1965-2001

**Annual Numbers of New Nonmedical Users of Pain Relievers: 1965-2001**

**Thousands of New Users**

## Lifetime Use of Selected Drugs among New Users of Pain Relievers Nonmedically, Age 12 or Older: 2002

**Percent of New Users**

**Marijuana**

**OxyContin****®**

**Cocaine**

**Hallucinogens**

**Heroin**

**Note: New users are defined as persons who used pain relievers nonmedically for the first time in 1999, 2000, or 2001.**

## Lifetime Use of Other Drugs among Lifetime Nonmedical OxyContin® Users, Age 12 or Older : 2002

**Percent of Lifetime OxyContin****® ****Users**

**Other Pain Relievers Nonmedically**

**Cocaine**

**Hallucinogens**

**Marijuana**

**Heroin**

## Lifetime Nonmedical Use of Pain Relievers among Lifetime Nonmedical OxyContin® Users, Age 12 or Older: 2002

**Percent**

**Darvocet****®****, Darvon****®****, or Tylenol****®**** with Codeine**

**Vicodin****®****, Lortab****®****, or Lorcet****®**

**Percocet****®****, Percodan****®****, or Tylox****®**

**®**

**®**

**®**

## Rates of Pain Reliever Dependence or Abuse and Lifetime Nonmedical OxyContin® Use, by Age Group, Age 12 or Older: 2002

**Percent**

**Past Year Pain Reliever Dependence or Abuse**

**Lifetime Nonmedical OxyContin****®**** Use**

**Rates of Pain Reliever Dependence or Abuse ****and Lifetime Nonmedical OxyContin****®**** Use, ****by Age Group, Age 12 or Older: 2002**

## Rates of Pain Reliever Dependence or Abuse and Lifetime Nonmedical OxyContin® Use, by Gender, Age 12 or Older: 2002

**Percent**

**Lifetime Nonmedical OxyContin****®**** Use**

**Past Year Pain Reliever Dependence or Abuse**

**Rates of Pain Reliever Dependence or Abuse ****and Lifetime Nonmedical OxyContin****®**** Use, ****by Gender, Age 12 or Older: 2002**

## Rates of Pain Reliever Dependence or Abuse and Lifetime Nonmedical OxyContin® Use, by Race/Ethnicity, Age 12 or Older: 2002

**Percent**

**Lifetime Nonmedical OxyContin****®**** Use**

**Past Year Pain Reliever Dependence or Abuse**

**Rates of Pain Reliever Dependence or Abuse ****and Lifetime Nonmedical OxyContin****®**** Use, ****by Race/Ethnicity, Age 12 or Older: 2002**

## Rates of Pain Reliever Dependence or Abuse and Lifetime Nonmedical OxyContin® Use, by County Type, Age 12 or Older: 2002

**Percent**

**Lifetime Nonmedical OxyContin****®**** Use**

**Past Year Pain Reliever Dependence or Abuse**

## Pain Reliever Dependence or Abuse among Lifetime Nonmedical Users of Any Pain Reliever, OxyContin®, and Dilaudid®, Age 12 or Older: 2002

**Users of OxyContin****®**

**Percent with Pain Reliever Dependence or Abuse**

**Users of Pain Relievers, **
**But Not OxyContin****®**

**Users of Dilaudid****®**

**Users of Pain Relievers,**
**But Not Dilaudid****®**

## Conclusions

**Nonmedical pain reliever and OxyContin****®**** use increasing **
**Nonmedical OxyContin****®**** use mainly among abusers of other drugs **
**OxyContin****®**** and Dilaudid****®**** users more likely to have dependence on or abuse of pain relievers than other nonmedical pain reliever users**