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ADHD drugs for Ice addicts
By Clare Masters
October 18, 2006 12:00am
A SYDNEY hospital will treat Ice addicts with ADHD drugs as the Government battles with the rising amphetamine epidemic.
The move comes as Australian scientists prepare to explore whether ADHD medication given in childhood increases the risk of drug and alcohol abuse later in life.
St Vincents Hospital will treat a small number of Ice addicts with Ritalin and dexamphetamine - the same medications used to treat ADHD.
The treatments will be trialled at the new 20-bed detoxification unit to be opened as part of the State Government's $600,000 plan to tackle the increasing number of methamphetamine users.
"It is the same principle of giving nicotine to people who are trying to stop smoking or methadone to people trying to give up heroin," St Vincents alcohol and drug service's Dr Alex Wodak said.
"You choose a drug similar to the drug they are trying to give up."
Dexamphetamine and crystal methamphetamine belong to the same pharmaceutical family but the illegal version is stronger, unpredictable and quick-acting.
"We use lower doses for dexamphetamine for ADHD than those using street amphetamines," Dr Wodak said.
He said there had been a 60 per cent increase in amphetamine psychosis since 2000.
Family Drug Support helpline founder Tony Trimingham said: "It's gone from around 2 per cent of our calls in July last year to almost 20 per cent 12 months later. There has been a dramatic surge."
FDS counsellor and ex-Ice user Kane, 25, said most users were unaware of the dangerous side-effects of the drug.
"It is so easy to have too much and difficult to have enough. It is much more intense (than speed) but also much more intoxicating," he said.
The link between medicated ADHD children and adult illicit amphetamine users is one being explored overseas.
The US's National Institute on Drug Abuse studies show ADHD children have higher rates of becoming drug and alcohol abusers.
"Two possible explanations have been suggested. First, the disorder itself may be responsible. Alternatively, the medications used to treat the disorder may be to blame," one report reads.
The National Drug and Alcohol Research Council is hoping to start the first Australian research and has just put in a funding request to the National Health and Medical Research Council.
"This is an area of research in America - because of class action suits - but we have done very little research in Australia," NDARC researcher Paul Dillon said.
"We have put in a funding request looking at prevalence of ADHD among illicit drug users and the possible link between the two."
News.com.au