Illegal Use of Psychoactive Drugs

Abstract

To the Editor.— Illegal use of psychoactive drugs by young people has received great publicity in both lay and medical publications. Much interest has been expressed about what physicians can and cannot do about this problem. Paralleling the use of these illegal drugs is the massive consumption of prescription psychoactive drugs. American pharmacists filled 225 million prescriptions for stimulants, sedatives, and tranquilizers in 1970 (New York Times, March 14, 1971, p 36). Until recently, this phenomenon received very little attention. Several issues require discussion. Does such widespread use reflect the common incidence of emotional problems seen by physicians? Are prescription drugs always good treatment for these problems? Are there more appropriate substitutes, such as counseling by the physician or referral to another professional for psychological evaluation and treatment? Is there a relationship between the massive use of legal prescriptions and nonprescription psychoactive drugs by adults and illegal drug use by