Prevalence, Sources and Uses of Tranquilizers among College Students

Abstract

A survey of 344 college students revealed that 36.71 per cent reported having used minor tranquilizers. Among those who acquired tranquilizers by their own prescription, the vast majority used them for medically indicated purposes, while those who acquired them from others' prescriptions or from black market sources, tended to use them for pleasure or to get high. The most frequently cited non-prescription sources were from mothers for females and from friends for males. One half of male users and one fourth of female users reported driving while taking the drugs and nearly half (48%) of the male users reported combining alcohol with the tranquilizers.