TEENS WITH ADHD AND SMOKING
Teens with Inattention Problems at Risk of Smoking
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Teens with symptoms of
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) appear to
be much more likely to take up the smoking habit, study
findings suggest.
ADHD is characterized by impulsive behavior, difficulty
paying attention, and academic and behavioral problems. Up
to 5% of school-age children are estimated to have ADHD,
with boys diagnosed up to four times more often than girls.
While ADHD has been associated with smoking among children
who have been referred to doctors, information on such a
link among adolescents in general populations has been
lacking, according to lead author Dr. Kenneth P. Tercyak
of the Georgetown University Medical Center in
Washington, DC, and colleagues.
To investigate, Tercyak's team interviewed 1,066 tenth
graders from five different US high schools. The students
answered questions about symptoms of ADHD as well as smoking
habits.
The teens who reported that they had ever smoked were more
than three times more likely to have "clinically significant
ADHD inattention symptoms" and current smokers were almost
three times more likely to have similar symptoms, the authors
report in the July issue of the Journal of the American
Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
The investigators note that "stimulation derived from
nicotine may help some smokers with ADHD to compensate for
their low levels of attention, arousal and concentration."
Tercyak and colleagues conclude that "the findings from this
study have implications for both prevention and treatment of
adolescent cigarette smoking."
SOURCE: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2002;41:799-805.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Teens with symptoms of
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) appear to
be much more likely to take up the smoking habit, study
findings suggest.
ADHD is characterized by impulsive behavior, difficulty
paying attention, and academic and behavioral problems. Up
to 5% of school-age children are estimated to have ADHD,
with boys diagnosed up to four times more often than girls.
While ADHD has been associated with smoking among children
who have been referred to doctors, information on such a
link among adolescents in general populations has been
lacking, according to lead author Dr. Kenneth P. Tercyak
of the Georgetown University Medical Center in
Washington, DC, and colleagues.
To investigate, Tercyak's team interviewed 1,066 tenth
graders from five different US high schools. The students
answered questions about symptoms of ADHD as well as smoking
habits.
The teens who reported that they had ever smoked were more
than three times more likely to have "clinically significant
ADHD inattention symptoms" and current smokers were almost
three times more likely to have similar symptoms, the authors
report in the July issue of the Journal of the American
Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
The investigators note that "stimulation derived from
nicotine may help some smokers with ADHD to compensate for
their low levels of attention, arousal and concentration."
Tercyak and colleagues conclude that "the findings from this
study have implications for both prevention and treatment of
adolescent cigarette smoking."
SOURCE: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2002;41:799-805.
