Over the last decade, scholars have examined simultaneous polydrug use among illicit drug users; however, the co-ingestion of nonmedical prescription drug (NMPD) use and alcohol has been largely overlooked. Also overlooked have been the incorporation and testing of theoretical explanations for this type of substance use behavior. In the current paper, we test social learning theory as an explanation for NMPD use and the co-ingestion of nonmedical prescription drugs and alcohol on a Midwest university sample using a bivariate probit equation model. Support is found for the influence of differential association, social reinforcement, and definitions of use on the co-ingestion of NMPDs and alcohol.
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