“Most of the Time You Already Know”: Pharmaceutical Information Assembly by Young Adults on the Internet

Abstract

This study examined the utilization of the Internet by young adults as a source of information for the non-medical use of prescription drugs. Collected during 2008 and 2009, the data presented here comes from semi-structured interviews (N=62) conducted in a northwestern city of the United States through support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Previous studies have characterized young adults as particularly vulnerable to online prescription drug information which analysts portray as having a significant, invariably detrimental, impact on youth drug use behaviors. The results presented here suggest that young adults are more skeptical and information-savvy than many substance abuse analysts acknowledge.

Misperceptions of Peer Pill-Popping: The Prevalence, Correlates, and Effects of Inaccurate Assumptions About Peer Pharmaceutical Misuse

“…This study demonstrates the significant potential for extending perceived social norms prevention efforts to substances other than alcohol and marijuana. Such efforts could easily address two categories of misperceptions that contribute to recreational pharmaceutical use; the misperceptions of safety noted by other studies (Quintero, 2012;Quintero & Bundy, 2011) and these misperceptions of peer behaviors noted here. By addressing these misperceptions, it could be possible to realize the same success seen by alcohol social norm interventions (Haines & Spear, 1996;Glider, Midyett, Mills-Novoa, Johannessen, & Collins, 2001;Gomberg, Schneider, & Dejong, 2001).…”

A virtual academy of polydrug use: Masters, novices and the art of combinations

“… Quintero and Bundy (2011 ) distinguish between different websites where drug-related content may be discussed, for example with a focus on drug-use prevention, harm reduction or drug control. Generally, these kinds of websites are sponsored by a public authority or some other institution.…”

Problematizing “Drugs”: A Cultural Assessment of Recreational Pharmaceutical Use among Young Adults in the United States

“…In assessing these depictions of recreational pharmaceutical use, it is important to bear in mind that young adults are exposed to a variety of drugs, each with their own specific risks and rewards. Individuals rarely base their understandings and evaluations of these drugs on conventional categorical constructions of medical utility and abuse, but rather draw on their personal experiences and understandings of what distinguishes “hard” drugs such as heroin from “soft” drugs like caffeine (Quintero & Bundy, 2011). …”

“…Some recreational pharmaceutical users categorize prescription drugs they were familiar with as “soft” drugs and see them as relatively safe to consume on physical and social levels (DeSantis & Curtis Hane, 2010; McKinney & Greenfield, 2010; Quintero et al, 2006; Quintero, 2009). 5 There are a number of reasons for this but one of the most prominent is simply this: Young people are very familiar with a number of prescription drugs both directly and indirectly through their own medical use or their observations of family and peers (Blanco et al, 2008; Quintero, 2009; Quintero & Bundy, 2011). As a result, the comparison of pharmaceuticals with hard drugs does not map well onto the experiences and understandings of recreational pharmaceutical users themselves.…”

“…As a result, a wide range of pharmaceuticals are now widely accessible to young people and they possess considerable knowledge and experience regarding medications, including dosages, indications, effects, and side effects (Anderson-Fye & Floersch, 2011; Blanco et al, 2008; McKinney & Greenfield, 2010; Quintero, Peterson, & Young, 2006; Young, 2003). This experiential base provides a measure of confidence to individuals as they consider the use of these substances in a nonmedical context (Harmon, 2005; Quintero & Bundy, 2011). …”