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. 2013 Jul 26;15(7):e143.
doi: 10.2196/jmir.2464.

Digital social media, youth, and nonmedical use of prescription drugs: the need for reform

Tim K Mackey  1 , Bryan A Liang, Steffanie A Strathdee
Affiliations

Digital social media, youth, and nonmedical use of prescription drugs: the need for reform

Tim K Mackey et al. J Med Internet Res. .

Abstract

The tragic death of 18-year-old Ryan Haight highlighted the ethical, public health, and youth patient safety concerns posed by illicit online nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NUPM) sourcing, leading to a federal law in an effort to address this concern. Yet despite the tragedy and resulting law, the NUPM epidemic in the United States has continued to escalate and represents a dangerous and growing trend among youth and adolescents. A critical point of access associated with youth NUPM is the Internet. Internet use among this vulnerable patient group is ubiquitous and includes new, emerging, and rapidly developing technologies-particularly social media networking (eg, Facebook and Twitter). These unregulated technologies may pose a potential risk for enabling youth NUPM behavior. In order to address limitations of current regulations and promote online safety, we advocate for legislative reform to specifically address NUPM promotion via social media and other new online platforms. Using more comprehensive and modernized federal legislation that anticipates future online developments is critical in substantively addressing youth NUPM behavior occurring through the Internet.

Keywords: Internet; drug abuse; eHealth; non-medical use of prescription medications (NUPM); social media; substance abuse; youth and adolescents.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: Timothy K Mackey (TKM) and Bryan A Liang (BAL) received no extramural support from any organization for the submitted work. TKM is the 2011-2013 Carl L Alsberg MD Fellow of the Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM), which supports his general research activities. BAL is a voluntary board member and Vice President of PSM and receives no compensation for any PSM activities. PSM is not connected with the submitted work. BAL also serves as a member of the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Healthcare Safety and Quality Research Study Section, and the National Patient Safety Foundation Research Program Committee, both of which consider grant proposals addressing medication safety. TKM and BAL report no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work. Steffanie A. Strathdee reports no conflicts of interest associated with this manuscript.

References

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