Nonmedical Use of Prescription Stimulants and Nicotine Among Community College Students

Objective: Despite community colleges accounting for 34% of all undergraduate enrollment, research on substance-use patterns among community college students is limited. Community college students may engage in substance use differently than their 4-year university counterparts due to differences in psychosocial factors and decreased availability of mental health services. The current study aimed to elucidate risk factors underlying non-medical use of prescription simulants (NMUS) and nicotine use by community college students. Methods: A web-based survey was administered to 10 of 13 community colleges within a southeastern state’s Board of Regents school system. The survey included questions related to NMUS, nicotine use, alcohol use, mental health diagnosis, and demographics. Results: Overall, 9% of the participants reported NMUS, and 24.6% used nicotine. Multivariate analysis of variance and χ2 tests revealed group differences among individuals using only nicotine, only NMUS, both nicotine and NMUS, and neither nicotine nor NMUS. Post-hoc 2 × 2 χ2 tests indicated that individuals using both nicotine and NMUS had higher incidence of mental health diagnoses, were more likely to live in urban areas, reported higher weekly alcohol consumption, and were more likely to be male as compared to individuals using neither substance. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms were higher in individuals using only NMUS and both NMUS and nicotine as compared to those using only nicotine or neither substance. Conclusions: These findings provide insight into demographic and psychological variables associated with NMUS and nicotine use among community college students that could be benefitted by greater access to affordable mental health services.