Table 5.
Motivation for use of prescription drugs in general and in combination with strong opioids (heroin, methadone, and buprenorphine). Not mutually exclusive. Presented as n (% of persons reporting lifetime use/combined use).
| Characteristic | Benzodiazepines | Pregabalin | z-drugs | Promethazine | Hydroxyzine | Alimemazine | Prescription opioids | Prescription stimulants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motives for use of prescription drugs a | ||||||||
| Recreational use (“get high”) |
16/62 (26%) | 7/26 (27%) | 14/62 (23%) | 0 | 2/45 (4%) | 2/52 (4%) | 21/60 (35%) | 7/24 (29%) |
| Relieve physical problems | 12/62 (19%) | 3/26 (12%) | 2/62 (3%) | 0 | 0 | 1/52 (2%) | 29/60 (48%) | 1/24 (4%) |
| Relieve emotional problems | 43/62 (69%) | 17/26 (65%) | 18/62 (29%) | 22/50 (44%) | 24/45 (53%) | 20/52 (39%) | 11/60 (18%) | 0 |
| Other motives | 17/62 (27%) | 5/26 (19%) | 37/62 (60%) | 25/50 (50%) | 16/45 (36%) | 28/52 (54%) | 18/60 (30%) | 14/24 (58%) |
|
| ||||||||
| Additional effect from combining prescription drugs with opioidsb | 42/59 (71%) | 11/17 (65%) | 31/46 (67%) | 8/25 (32%) | 4/20 (20%) | 9/30 (30%) | 25/41 (61%) | 5/13 (39%) |
aMissing values n = 3 for prescription stimulants; n = 4 for alimemazine; n = 6 for promethazine; and n = 7 for hydroxyzine.
bMissing values n = 1 for pregabalin; n = 3 for promethazine, alimemazine, and prescription stimulants; n = 4 for z-drugs; n = 5 for benzodiazepines and hydroxyzine; and n = 8 for prescription opioids.