By Staff Reports
(Hawaii)– From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.
People in a group tend to think like other members of the group, and a study finds this among prescription drug abusers. At Purdue University, researcher Brian Kelly saw it in survey and interview data on more than 400 prescription drug misusers ages 18 to 29.
Kelly says users got support from drug-using friends, and continued to use drugs partly to be with their friends.
“Peer influences on substance abuse continue well beyond the point of initiation into drug use. Peers matter even for those young people who have already taken the step of using drugs.”
He says it’s a reason for young adults to choose their friends wisely – and healthfully.
The study presented at a meeting of the American Sociological Association was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Learn more at healthfinder.gov.
HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.