Fewer teens are misusing prescription opioids, according to the 2015 Monitoring the Future Survey. For example, in 2015, 4.4% of high school seniors reported non-medical use of Vicodin compared with the peak rate of 10.5% in 2003. However, the study also shows that non-medical use of the prescription amphetamine Adderall remains high among 12th graders, with 7.5% of 12th graders reporting non-medical use of the drug typically prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Over 40,000 students in grades 8, 10 and 12 participated in the 2015 survey, which tracks non-medical use of narcotics, amphetamines, and other types of prescription medications, as well as trends in use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs. The majority of teens abusing prescription opioids reported getting them f rom friends or family members, and one-third reported getting them from their own prescriptions, reports the National Institutes of Health in a press release.
