Peers, not peer pressure, may lead young adults to abuse prescription drugs, according to a recent study.

Researchers from Purdue University and Hunter College suggest that current efforts to prevent prescription drug misuse among young adults need to consider peers - but not peer pressure.

"With the [18 to 29 years old] age group we may be spending unnecessary effort working a peer pressure angle in prevention and intervention efforts. That does not appear to be an issue for this age group," said study co-author Brian Kelly, a professor of sociology and anthropology who studies drug use and youth cultures. "Rather, we found more subtle components of the peer context as influential. These include peer drug associations, peers as points of drug access, and the motivation to misuse prescription drugs to have pleasant times with friends."

Prescription drug misuse has risen considerably during the 21st century and is the most commonly abused substance after alcohol and marijuana for people 14 years old and older, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Popular prescription drugs that are most frequently misused are sedatives, painkillers, and stimulants.

For the study, researchers reviewed survey and in-person interviews with 618 adults between the ages of 18 and 29 who misused prescription drugs in the past 90 days. These individuals were recruited from popular nightlife locations such as bars, clubs, and lounges in New York City. Average misuse of prescription drugs, such as painkillers, sedatives and stimulants, was 38 times in the past 90 days

They evaluated the role of peer factors on three prescription drug misuse outcomes: the frequency of misuse; administering drugs in ways other than swallowing, such as sniffing, smoking, and injecting the drugs; and symptoms of dependency on prescription drugs.

"We found that peer drug associations are positively associated with all three outcomes," Kelly said. "If there are high perceived social benefits or low perceived social consequences within the peer network, they are more likely to lead to a greater frequency of misuse, as well as a greater use of non-oral methods of administration and a greater likelihood of displaying symptoms of dependence. The motivation to misuse prescription drugs to have a good time with friends is also associated with all three outcomes. The number of sources of drugs in their peer group also matters, which is notable since sharing prescription drugs is common among these young adults."

The findings were recently presented at the 109th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological.