Psychoactive Drug Use by Young and Future Physicians

Drug-use surveys of nonclinical samples of young physicians and premedical, medical, and nursing students in New England indicate that between 56 and 70 percent have used marijuana and that some of them now have progressed to recreational experimentation with higher-risk drugs, especially cocaine.

Abstract

Drug-use surveys of nonclinical samples of young physicians and premedical, medical, and nursing students in New England indicate that between 56 and 70 percent have used marijuana and that some of them now have progressed to recreational experimentation with higher-risk drugs, especially cocaine (15 to 21 percent). At the same time, use of amphetamines for studying and staying awake appears to have declined in prevalence. These figures reflect the influence of current drug-use trends among university populations, although future health professionals consistently have slightly lower drug-use rates than many other graduate and college students. Approximately 40 percent of the young physicians also treated themselves with one or more psychoactive drugs, mostly opiates (27 percent), tranquilizers (17 percent), and sedatives (8 percent). Although most subjects have used drugs only afew times, some reported more regular use; the latter therefore may be at risk of developing drug problems.