Background and objectives: To examine changes in United States past-year opioid, stimulant, and benzodiazepine prescription drug misuse (PDM) and poly-PDM by demographics.
Methods: Data were from the 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 282,768), examining annualized PDM change by demographics.
Results: Opioid and poly-PDM significantly declined among those under 35 years, White, and multiracial residents.
Discussion and conclusions: Age and race/ethnicity are important moderators of recent PDM trends, warranting investigation of mechanisms.
Scientific significance: Results highlight ongoing PDM declines in younger groups but expand the literature by showing limited changes in adults 35 and older and non-opioid PDM.
© 2022 The Authors. The American Journal on Addictions published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP).