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Study finds 16 million US adults use prescription stimulants

According to a study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), approximately 16 million US adults are using prescription stimulants to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The research, published on Monday in the American Journal of Psychiatry, analysed data gathered from individuals aged 18 and older who participated in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health for 2015 and 2016.

The researchers found that of the 16 million users of prescription stimulates, 5 million people misused the drugs, and that about 400,000 have developed drug use disorders.

Over half of the survey respondents (56.3%) said that they used prescription stimulants to remain more alert and focus their concentration, while 21.9% said they used the stimulants to help them study. Approximately 15.5% admitted to using the stimulates to get high, while 4.1% said their primary motivation was to lose weight.

Many of the survey participants who reported misusing the stimulants said they obtained the drugs for free from friends or relatives who had a legal prescription, while approximately 20% said they bought the drugs from prescription holders or stole them.

The researchers said that even though they found a high level of prescription stimulant misuse, the severity of the drug use disorders they found were relatively low. However, they thought that the trend toward increasing stimulant abuse was a concern.

“For some, misuse without disorder may be an early expression of a trajectory toward stimulant use disorder,” the researchers said. “Patients who are using their medication for cognitive enhancement or diverting their medication to others present a high risk.”

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