ArticleDrug and alcohol review2026
Non-Medical Use of Prescription Stimulants in Australia: Prevalence, Sociodemographic and Substance Use Correlates From the 2022-2023 National Drug Strategy Household Survey.
Article in Drug and alcohol review, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
introductionNon-medical use of prescription stimulants is increasing globally, yet Australian population-level data on its prevalence and associated sociodemographic and substance use correlates remain limited.
methodsWe analysed cross-sectional data from the 2022-2023 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (n = 21,663). Logistic regression models estimated associations between non-medical use of prescription stimulants and other substance use. Multinomial models compared risk profiles across four groups: no drug use; non-medical use of prescription stimulants only; illicit drug use only; and both.
resultsPast-year non-medical use of prescription stimulants was reported by 1.8% of respondents and 5.2% reported lifetime use. Past-year non-medical use of prescription stimulants was strongly associated with past-year use of meth/amphetamine, non-medical cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy, but not with past-year cigarette smoking, non-medical use of opioids, vaping or risky alcohol consumption (p > 0.006). Compared with individuals who reported non-medical use of prescription stimulants only, those who reported both non-medical use of prescription stimulants and illicit substance use were younger and more likely to report current smoking and risky alcohol consumption. DISCUSSION AND
conclusionsPatterns mirror international evidence: non-medical use of prescription stimulants in Australia is concentrated within polysubstance use, particularly with other stimulants and cannabis, while a smaller non-medical use only subgroup shows fewer risk indicators. Non-medical use of prescription stimulants may serve as a marker for broader substance use and clinicians should screen accordingly. Future NDSHS surveillance should add items assessing prescription status, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis and motives to better characterise exclusive non-medical use.
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