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Introduction: Retaining leftover prescription opioids poses the risks of diversion, misuse, overdose, and death for youth and other family members. This study examined whether a new educational program would enhance risk perceptions and disposal intentions among parents and decrease their retention of leftover prescription opioids., Study Design: This study is an RCT (NCT03287622)., Setting/participants: A total of 648 parents whose children were prescribed opioid analgesics were recruited from a Midwestern, academic pediatric hospital between 2017 and 2019. Parents were randomized to receive routine information (control) with or without Scenario-Tailored Opioid Messaging Program intervention., Intervention: The intervention provided opioid risk and mitigation advice using interactive decisional feedback., Main Outcome Measures: The main outcome measures were parents' perceptions of the riskiness of keeping/sharing opioids and child misuse measured at baseline, Days 3 and 14, their intention to dispose of leftover opioids, and their final retention decisions after the child's use (at or around Day 14)., Results: Perceived riskiness of child misuse and keeping/sharing opioids increased from baseline through Day 14 only for parents in the intervention group (p≤0.006). However, there were no significant differences in risk perceptions between groups and no intervention effect on disposal intentions at either follow-up. Despite these findings, the intervention reduced the likelihood of parents' opioid retention when adjusted for important parent and child covariates (AOR=0.48; 95% CI=0.25, 0.93; p=0.028). Parents who reported past opioid misuse also showed higher retention behavior (AOR=4.78; 95% CI=2.05, 11.10; p<0.001)., Conclusions: A scenario-specific educational intervention emphasizing the potential risks that leftover opioids pose to children and that provided risk mitigation advice decreased parents' retention of their child's leftover opioid medication. Removing leftover prescription drugs from homes with children may be an important step to reducing diversion, accidental poisoning, and misuse among youth., Trial Registration: This study is registered at www., Clinicaltrials: gov NCT03287622., (Copyright © 2022 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This randomized controlled trial examined whether an interactive, risk-focused educational program was associated with higher risk perceptions and decreased prescription opioid use/misuse among emerging adults., Methods: 503 participants aged 15-24 years scheduled for ambulatory surgery were randomized to routine prescription education with or without our Scenario-Tailored Opioid Messaging Program (STOMP) provided prior to receipt of a prescribed opioid. Surveys were completed preoperatively, and at days 7&14, months 1&3 postoperatively. Outcomes included analgesic risk perceptions, opioid use, and misuse intentions/behavior., Results: Compared to Controls, STOMP was associated with stable but higher risk perceptions on day 14 (β = 1.76 [95% CI 0.53, 2.99], p = .005) and month 3 (β = 2.13 [95% CI 0.86, 3.40], p = .001). There was no effect of STOMP or analgesic misuse risk perceptions on days of opioid use or subsequent misuse intentions/behavior. The degree to which participants valued pain relief over analgesic risk (trade-off preference) was, however, associated with prolonged postoperative opioid use and later misuse., Conclusion: Education emphasizing the risks of opioids was insufficient in reducing opioid use and misuse in youth who were prescribed these analgesics for acute pain relief., Practice Implications: Education may need to better address analgesic expectations to shorten opioid use and mitigate misuse., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To examine the longitudinal relationships between US adolescents' prescription opioid use and misuse and any subsequent heroin use in adulthood., Methods: Nationally representative samples of adolescents from 25 independent cohorts were surveyed via self-administered questionnaires and followed from ages 18 to 35 (n = 11,012). Adolescents were divided into 5 subgroups based on survey responses at age 18: no lifetime exposure to prescription opioids (population controls), medical prescription opioid use without a history of nonmedical misuse (medical use only), medical use followed by nonmedical misuse, nonmedical misuse followed by medical use, and nonmedical misuse only. These 5 subgroups were compared on their risk for any heroin use through age 35 (1993-2017). Adolescents who reported lifetime heroin use at age 18 were excluded., Results: Adolescents who reported nonmedical prescription opioid misuse followed by medical use or nonmedical misuse only had greater odds of any heroin use in adulthood than population controls. More recent cohorts of adolescents who reported nonmedical misuse or medical use only (compared to older cohorts) had greater odds of any heroin use in adulthood relative to population controls. Nearly 1 in 3 adolescents in recent cohorts who reported nonmedical prescription opioid misuse transitioned to any heroin use., Conclusions: There is increased risk for heroin use among adolescents who initiated nonmedical misuse or adolescents prescribed opioids in more recent cohorts. These findings indicate historical variation and reinforce the critical role of vigilant monitoring and drug screening to detect high-risk individuals who would benefit from an intervention to reduce later heroin use., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2020 American Society of Addiction Medicine.)

Background: Effective interventions for overdose survivors are needed in the emergency departments (EDs). One promising model is the use of peer recovery coaches to engage with survivors in EDs, followed by partnering with community case management navigators to connect survivors to recovery support and treatment services. This paper describes the evaluation of a pilot program, the Recovery Opioid Overdose Team (ROOT), a warm hand-off system that links survivors to treatment services post-ED discharge. Methods: The ROOT program is composed of a peer recovery coach who is in long-term recovery, and a case management navigator who specializes in mental health care and provides guidance for accessing community services. After an overdose reversal, law enforcement contacts a county 24/7 Crisis Team, who then notifies ROOT. The peer recovery coach engages with the survivor in the ED, and then follow up continues with the case management navigator and the peer recovery coach for up to 90 days post-ED discharge. Retrospective chart reviews were conducted to evaluate ROOT in two Midwest EDs from September 2017 through March 2019. Results: Of the 122 referrals, 77.0% ( n  = 94) of the survivors initially engaged with ROOT in the ED or in the community. The remaining 23.0% ( n  = 28) left the ED against medical advice or were unengaged. The majority of overdose survivors were male (63.9%; n  = 78), White (43.4%; n  = 53), had housing (80.2%; n  = 48), and access to transportation (48.4%; n  = 59). From the 122 referrals, 33.6% ( n  = 41) received ongoing treatment services ( n  = 20 outpatient, n  = 17 residential, n  = 2 detoxification facility, n  = 1 recovery housing, n  = 1 medication treatment for opioid use disorder), 2.5% ( n  = 3) were incarcerated, 2.5% ( n  = 3) died, and 61.5% ( n  = 75) declined services. Conclusions: The ROOT, a community-wide coordinated program in the EDs, shows promise in linking overdose survivors to recovery support and treatment services post-overdose.

Background: US opioid overdose deaths continue to climb, with a 12.0% increase from 2016 to 2017. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has been a major contributor to opioid-related overdose deaths. While fentanyl-related overdose is driven by illicit fentanyl, little is known about individuals who misuse prescription fentanyl, which is also linked to elevated overdose and mortality risk. This work aimed to fill that gap through analyses of prescription fentanyl misuse correlates., Methods: Data were from the 2015-16 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 114,043), a nationally representative survey of the non-institutionalized US population. Respondents were (all past-year): those misusing prescription fentanyl (PF); those misusing other (non-fentanyl) prescription opioids (NFPO); and population controls. Respondent groups were compared using multinomial regression on sociodemographics, physical health, mental health and substance use. The PF and NFPO misuse groups were compared on opioid misuse characteristics, using logistic regression., Results: An estimated 4.4% misused NFPO, and 0.1% misused PF (past-year). Past-year heroin use was more common in those who misused PF (44.3%) than those who misused other NFPO (4.4%; relative risk ratio [RRR] = 7.1, 95%CI = 3.7-13.9) or population controls (0.1%, RRR = 35.1, 95%CI = 17.3-71.1). Non-alcohol substance use disorder (SUD) was similarly elevated in those who misused PF (78.7%) versus the other NFPO group (27.5%, RRR = 3.8, 95%CI = 1.8-8.2) or population controls (1.6%, RRR = 20.6, 95%CI = 9.4-45.5)., Conclusions: Respondents who misused prescription fentanyl were both more drug-involved generally and opioid-involved specifically; and likely need a combination of significant interventions and monitoring for their polysubstance use., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: This longitudinal study assesses characteristics associated with adolescents' nonmedical use of prescription opioids (NMUPO) including: frequency, co-ingestion, motives, specific opioid type; sequence of initiation of medical use of prescription opioids and NMUPO in relationship to subsequent substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms., Methods: Twenty-one independent national cohorts of U.S. high school seniors (n = 8,373) were surveyed and followed 17 years from adolescence to age 35., Results: The majority of adolescents who engaged in NMUPO reported occasional/frequent NMUPO, non-pain relief motives for NMUPO, simultaneous co-ingestion involving NMUPO and other drugs, opioid analgesics with high misuse potential, and multiple types of opioid analgesics. Adolescents who reported NMUPO for pain relief, NMUPO involving opioid analgesics with high misuse potential, or multiple prescription opioids had significantly greater odds of SUD symptoms at age 35, relative to those who had no history of NMUPO during adolescence. In addition, medical use of prescription opioids after initiating NMUPO (or NMUPO only) during adolescence was associated with significantly greater odds of subsequent SUD symptoms at age 35 relative to those who reported the medical use of prescription opioids only or had no medical use or NMUPO during adolescence., Conclusions: This is the first U.S. national prospective study to examine the relationships between adolescents' NMUPO characteristics and later SUD symptoms in early midlife. Several characteristics (frequency, co-ingestion, motives, opioid type, and medical/NMUPO initiation history) were identified that could be used to screen and detect high-risk youth for indicated interventions to reduce prescription opioid misuse and SUDs., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study examined demographic and psychosocial correlates associated with persistence/recurrence of and remission from at least one of ten DSM-5 substance use disorders (SUDs) and three substance-specific SUDs (i.e., alcohol, cannabis, and prescription opioids). Data were collected from structured diagnostic interviews and national prevalence estimates were derived from the 2012-2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. An estimated 25.4% of the U.S. population had at least one prior-to-past-year (prior) SUD. Among individuals with any prior SUDs, the prevalence of past-year substance use and DSM-5 symptomology was as follows: abstinence (14.2%), asymptomatic use (36.9%), symptomatic use (10.9%), and persistent/recurrent SUD (38.1%). Among individuals with prior SUDs, design-based multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that young adulthood, higher educational attainment, higher personal income, never having been married, being divorced/separated/widowed, lack of lifetime substance use treatment, and stressful life events predicted significantly greater odds of past-year persistent/recurrent SUDs, relative to abstinence. In addition, remission from a prior tobacco use disorder decreased the probability of past-year persistent/recurrent SUD, relative to abstinence. Stressful life events were the only common correlates across the aggregation of all SUDs and each substance-specific SUD, but differences were found for specific stressful life events between drug classes. Nearly half (49%) of adults with prior DSM-5 SUDs continued to report past-year symptomatic substance use, while only one in seven individuals were abstinent. The findings suggest the value of examining remission associated with both substance-specific SUDs and aggregation of SUDs based on the shared and unique correlates of persistent/recurrent SUDs; this is especially true for stressful life events, which could be useful targets for enhancing clinical care and interventions., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: The United States is in the midst of a prescription drug epidemic, particularly related to opioids. To more effectively deal with the devastating outcomes associated with non-medical use of prescription opioids (NUPO), research is needed to identify populations at increased risk. The current research builds on a small number of studies that have shown that adolescents involved in competitive sports are more likely to report NUPO. Specifically, we examine the relationship between athlete status, injury history, and NUPO among college students., Methods: Using data from the National College Health Assessment (NCHA II from 2008 to 2011), we estimated several logistic regression models to examine the individual, and combined, effects of sex, athlete status, and injury history on NUPO., Results: In the NCHA II 8.3% of students reported NUPO, 8.0% identified as a varsity athlete, and 17.4% reported an injury. Looking at factors individually, having an injury, being a varsity athlete, and being male were all significantly associated with NUPO. By combining these factors together we were able to determine that male athletes, athletes with injuries, and male athletes with injuries were at the greatest risk for NUPO, after controlling for relevant covariates., Discussion and Conclusions: To create effective prevention and intervention programs that target the health and wellness of college students, it is important to understand which groups of students are most likely to report NUPO., Scientific Significance: This study advances our understanding of the relationship between sports involvement and NUPO. (Am J Addict 2018;27:15-22)., (© 2017 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.)

Objectives: Most US studies of national trends in medical and nonmedical use of prescription opioids have focused on adults. Given the limited understanding in these trends among adolescents, we examine national trends in the medical and nonmedical use of prescription opioids among high school seniors between 1976 and 2015., Methods: The data used for the study come from the Monitoring the Future study of adolescents. Forty cohorts of nationally representative samples of high school seniors (modal age 18) were used to examine self-reported medical and nonmedical use of prescription opioids., Results: Lifetime prevalence of medical use of prescription opioids peaked in both 1989 and 2002 and remained stable until a recent decline from 2013 through 2015. Lifetime nonmedical use of prescription opioids was less prevalent and highly correlated with medical use of prescription opioids over this 40-year period. Adolescents who reported both medical and nonmedical use of prescription opioids were more likely to indicate medical use of prescription opioids before initiating nonmedical use., Conclusions: Prescription opioid exposure is common among US adolescents. Long-term trends indicate that one-fourth of high school seniors self-reported medical or nonmedical use of prescription opioids. Medical and nonmedical use of prescription opioids has declined recently and remained highly correlated over the past 4 decades. Sociodemographic differences and risky patterns involving medical and nonmedical use of prescription opioids should be taken into consideration in clinical practice to improve opioid analgesic prescribing and reduce adverse consequences associated with prescription opioid use among adolescents., Competing Interests: POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Purpose: Examine the past-year prevalence of nonmedical use of prescription opioids (NUPOs), heroin use, and the concurrent NUPO and heroin in a sample of 12th graders involved in 16 different sports., Methods: A secondary analysis of nationally representative data from nine cohorts (2006-2014) of the Monitoring the Future study (n = 21,557)., Results: No differences were found between 12th graders who participated in at least one competitive sport and nonparticipants with respect to past-year NUPO, heroin use, and concurrent NUPO and heroin use. Most of the 16 sports analyzed were not associated with the three drug use outcomes. However, 12th graders who participated in ice hockey had substantially greater odds of both past-year heroin use and concurrent NUPO and heroin, while those who participated in weightlifting (NUPO and heroin) and wrestling (NUPO) had slightly higher odds of using these drugs., Conclusions: The study provides critical information to inform physicians, parents, and school officials of the risks associated with participating in certain high contact sports, particularly ice hockey., (Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Previous research has found that adolescent athletes may be at increased risk of nonmedical prescription opioid use (NPOU) due to injuries. Although adolescent athletes are at an increased risk of engaging in NPOU, it has yet to be determined if they are also at greater risk for heroin use. The major purpose of this study was to examine both the trends in prevalence rates and patterns of initiation in lifetime NPOU and lifetime heroin use among adolescents who engage in sports and exercise., Methods: Eighteen cross-sections of eighth and 10th graders were used from the Monitoring the Future study. The sample consisted of 191 682 respondents who answered questions on past-year participation in sports and exercise, lifetime NPOU, lifetime heroin use, age of NPOU onset, and age of heroin onset., Results: The trends in NPOU and lifetime heroin use among adolescents who engage in sports and exercise has declined between 1997 and 2014. Logistic regression analyses found that adolescents who engage in sports and exercise had lower odds of reporting lifetime NPOU and heroin use compared with adolescents who did not engage in these activities during the past year. Analyses among lifetime heroin users found that adolescents who engage in sports and exercise had lower odds of initiating NPOU before heroin when compared with their peers who did not engage in these activities in the past year., Conclusions: Daily participation in sports and exercise may serve as a protective factor with respect to NPOU and heroin use., (Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Unlabelled: This study examined the motives for medical misuse of prescription opioids among adolescents and assessed differences in motives by demographic characteristics, substance abuse, and diversion behaviors. A survey was conducted in 2011 to 2012 and the sample consisted of 2,964 adolescents (51% female). Thirteen percent reported past-year medical use of prescription opioids. Among those prescribed opioids in the past year (n = 393), 17.9% reported medical misuse (eg, using too much, using to get high, or using to increase alcohol or other drug effects). The most prevalent motives for medical misuse were "to relieve pain" (84.2%) and "to get high" (35.1%). Multivariate analyses indicated that the motives differed by race, and that different motives were associated with different substance abuse and diversion behaviors. The odds of past-year substance abuse among medical misusers motivated by non-pain relief were more than 15 times greater than for nonusers (adjusted odds ratio = 15.2, 95% CI = 6.4-36.2, P < .001). No such differences existed between nonusers and appropriate medical users, or between nonusers and medical misusers motivated by pain relief only. These findings improve our understanding of opioid medication misuse among adolescents and indicate the need for enhanced education about appropriate medical use, pain management, and patient communication with prescribers., Perspective: This article represents the first investigation to examine the motives associated with medical misuse of prescription opioids among adolescents. The results indicate that the majority of medical misuse is associated with pain relief. This information could be used to develop strategies to reduce opioid medication misuse among adolescents., (Copyright © 2013 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To (1) estimate the proportion of nonmedical users of prescription opioids (i.e., used prescription opioids in the past year without a doctor's orders) who used leftover medications from their own previous prescriptions; (2) assess substance use behaviors as a function of diversion source; and (3) identify the sources for these prescribed opioids., Methods: We analyzed data collected via self-administered questionnaires from nationally representative samples of high school seniors (modal age, 18 years) as a part of the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study. The sample consisted of four cohorts (senior years of 2007-2010, n = 8,888), including 647 high school seniors who reported past-year nonmedical use of prescription opioids, of whom 53% were estimated to be women., Results: An estimated 36.9% of past-year nonmedical users of prescription opioids obtained these opioid medications from their own previous prescriptions. Logistic regression analyses indicated that nonmedical users who used leftover medications from their previous prescriptions were primarily motivated to relieve physical pain, whereas nonmedical users who obtained medications from other sources had significantly higher odds of prescription opioid abuse and other substance use behaviors. Based on a subanalysis of nonmedical users who obtained prescription opioids from their previous prescriptions in 2010 (n = 51), approximately 27.1% obtained them from a dentist, 45.0% obtained them from an emergency room physician, and 38.3% obtained them from another physician., Conclusions: Leftover prescription opioids from previous prescriptions represent a major source of nonmedical use of prescription opioids among high school seniors. These findings indicate that enhanced vigilance is needed when prescribing and monitoring prescription opioids among adolescents, to reduce leftover medications and nonmedical use., (Copyright © 2013 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the past-year prevalence rates and behavioral correlates of co-ingestion of prescription opioids and other drugs among high school seniors in the United States., Methods: Nationally representative probability samples of high school seniors in the United States were surveyed as a part of the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study. Data were collected in schools via self-administered paper-and-pencil questionnaires during the spring of each cohort's senior year. The sample consisted of five cohorts (senior years of 2002-2006) made up of 12,441 high school seniors (modal age 18), of which 53% were women., Results: The estimated prevalence of any past-year co-ingestion of prescription opioids and other drugs for these cohorts was 4.4%, and 69.8% among nonmedical users of prescription opioids. The substances most commonly co-ingested with prescription opioids included marijuana (58.5%), alcohol (52.1%), cocaine (10.6%), tranquilizers (10.3%), and amphetamines (9.5%). Nonmedical users who co-ingested prescription opioids with other drugs were more likely to report intranasal administration, recreational motives, oxycodone use, and greater subjective high when using prescription opioids than nonmedical users who did not co-ingest prescription opioids and other drugs., Conclusions: Nearly 7 out of every 10 nonmedical users of prescription opioids reported co-ingestion of prescription opioids and other drugs in the past year. The findings indicate that the co-ingestion of prescription opioids and other drugs by high school seniors in the United States serves as a marker for substance abuse and represents a significant public health concern., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The objectives of this study are to examine the associations among a positive score on the CRAFFT (a substance use brief screening test for adolescents) and demographic characteristics, diversion sources, routes of administration, substance use behaviors and motivations associated with the use of prescription opioids without a legal prescription., Methods: In 2009-2010, a sample of 2744 middle and high school students from two Midwestern school districts in the United States self-administered a Web-based survey., Results: Approximately 5.6% (n=148) of respondents reported past-year nonmedical use of prescription opioids (NMUPO). Of those reporting NMUPO, approximately 35.1% (n=52) screened positive for substance use disorders based on the CRAFFT. Multiple logistic regression analyses indicated that the odds of buying prescription opioids, obtaining opioids from multiple diversion sources, administering opioids intranasally, and using opioids to get high were greater for nonmedical users with a positive CRAFFT screen as compared to NMUPO with a negative CRAFFT screen. NMUPO with a positive screen was motivated primarily for recreational purposes, while NMUPO with a negative screen was motivated almost exclusively by pain relief., Conclusions: The CRAFFT brief screening test for adolescents can be used to identify a subgroup of NMUPO at the highest risk for a substance use disorder as well as a subgroup of NMUPO who would benefit from appropriate pain management., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this study was to advance our understanding of nonmedical use of prescription medications by identifying the distinguishing characteristics of 2 subtypes of adolescent nonmedical users of prescription opioids that have been previously described. A Web-based, self-administered survey was completed by 2,597 7th-12th grade students. Sensation-seeking nonmedical users were best characterized by rule breaking and aggressive behaviors and possible substance dependence. Medical users and nonmedical self-treating users were best characterized by somatic complaints, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and history of sexual victimization.

Objectives: To assess motives for nonmedical use of prescription opioids among US high school seniors and examine associations between motives for nonmedical use and other substance use behaviors., Design: Nationally representative samples of US high school seniors (modal age 18 years) were surveyed during the spring of their senior year via self-administered questionnaires., Setting: Data were collected in public and private high schools., Participants: The sample consisted of 5 cohorts (2002-2006) of 12 441 high school seniors., Main Outcome Measures: Self-reports of motives for nonmedical use of prescription opioids and substance use behaviors., Results: More than 1 in every 10 high school seniors reported nonmedical use of prescription opioids and 45% of past-year nonmedical users reported "to relieve physical pain" as an important motivation. The odds of heavy drinking and other drug use were lower among nonmedical users of prescription opioids motivated only by pain relief compared with nonmedical users who reported pain relief and other motives and those who reported non-pain relief motives only. The odds of medical use of prescription opioids were lower among nonmedical users who reported only non-pain relief motives compared with other types of nonmedical users., Conclusions: The findings indicate motives should be considered when working with adolescents who report nonmedical use of prescription opioids. Future efforts are needed to identify adolescents who may need appropriate pain management and those at increased risk for prescription opioid abuse.

Objectives: This study examined the prevalence rates and correlates of nonmedical use of prescription opioid analgesics among U.S. college students in terms of student and college characteristics., Methods: This study analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of 10,904 randomly selected students attending 119 four-year colleges in 2001., Results: The lifetime prevalence of nonmedical prescription opioid use was 12% and the past year prevalence was 7%. Approximately one in every four colleges had a prevalence of 10% or higher for past year nonmedical use of prescription opioids. Multivariate regression analyses indicated nonmedical use was more likely to occur among college students who were white, residents of fraternity and sorority houses, attended more competitive colleges, earned lower grade point averages, and reported higher rates of substance use and other risky behaviors., Conclusions: This study provides evidence that the nonmedical use of prescription opioids represents a problem on college campuses. These findings have important implications for developing prevention efforts and therapeutic strategies aimed at reducing the nonmedical use of prescription opioid analgesics among college students while not hindering necessary medication management for pain.

The illicit use of opioid analgesics represents a growing problem among American adolescents. In order to examine the correlates associated with the illicit use of opioid analgesics, a nationally representative sample of 4,522 high school seniors from the 2002 Monitoring the Future database was examined. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that illicit users of prescription opioid analgesics were significantly more likely to be male, White, and have lower grade point averages. Illicit users of opioid analgesics also reported higher rates of cigarette smoking, alcohol use, marijuana use, other illicit drug use, and problem behaviors. The present study provides evidence that the illicit use of opioid analgesics represents a problem among American high school seniors and effective prevention and intervention efforts are needed.