Nonmedical use of prescription painkillers and stimulants is safer than taking cocaine but riskier than smoking marijuana or drinking alcohol, according to college freshmen interviewed by researchers from the University of Maryland.

Researcher Amelia Arria, Ph.D., of the Center for Substance Abuse Research at the University of Maryland also found that students who perceived nonmedical use of prescription drugs as relatively harmless were 10 times more likely to use them as those who viewed prescription stimulants and painkillers as highly hazardous.

However, Arria categorized some students as "sensation seekers" who were likely to misuse the drugs even if they perceived the medications as potentially dangerous.

"This study suggests that educating students about the potential harm that can be caused by nonmedical use of prescription drugs is important in reducing use of these drugs by college students. It also shows that getting the message to students who are sensation-seekers, who are a high risk group for all types of drug use, might be more of a challenge to prevention specialists," Arria said.

The study, based on interviews with 1,253 students between 2004 and 2006, was published in the September 2008 issue of the journal Prevention Science.