Kids with ADHD more likely to use drugs, analysis finds

slimvictor

slimvictor

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Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are up to three times more likely than other kids to use, abuse or become dependent on substances such as nicotine, cocaine and marijuana in adolescence and as young adults, new research suggests.


Adolescents with ADHD also were more likely to experiment with nicotine and illegal substances at earlier ages than those without ADHD, according to an analysis of 27 long-term studies that followed 4,100 ADHD and 6,800 non-ADHD children into young adulthood — in some cases for 10 years or more.

(...)

His analysis suggests that kids with ADHD are three times more likely to develop nicotine dependence, 1.5 times more likely to use marijuana, and twice as likely to use cocaine, compared with kids without ADHD.

cont at
http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health...likely-to-use-drugs-analysis-finds/46475082/1
 
slimvictor said:
Kids with ADHD nearly use drugs - including ritalin.
The article never mentions this, or the possibility that using legal drugs encourages them to try illegal drugs.
Click to expand...

Yup. Does it surprise anyone that if you tell a child taking a pill will make him calm/attentive/better at school he might try other drugs as well? You are basically pounding into their heads "drugs are good"

After a while I think it is almost inevitable for the kid to try other drugs as well. (Possibly even trading his scripted meds for other drugs)
 
slimvictor said:
Kids with ADHD nearly use drugs - including ritalin.
The article never mentions this, or the possibility that using legal drugs encourages them to try illegal drugs.
Click to expand...

Had to second this. Providing kids with prescriptions to drugs that also happened to be highly desired street drugs (or at the very least, highly desired by the kids' peers for study-enhancement/performance-enhancement use) exposes them to other people who use drugs, and as a result exposes them to other drugs.
 
Not surprising, I did heaps of ritalin in school and other peoples interests in their drugs quickly exposed them to those who used and in some cases sold other drugs. It does make sense that if stimulants are given to someone on a daily basis and they try more euphoric stimulants they are more likely to develop a taste for them, it also makes sense they are more likely to smoke cigs because nicotine on ritalin or dex is good shit.

The few ADHD kids I knew also tended to be the sort to act out and undertake risky behaviour, this probably contributes as well as the intrinsic mindset they are likely to have that drugs can solve problems.

While I can believe they are perhaps slightly more likely to try marijuana than a non ADHD kid, in my experience most I knew never considered marijuana their DOC and like most typical heavy stimulant users I have known heavy marijuana use tends to make them paranoid sooner or later.

I have never been diagnosed ADD or ADHD myself but I knew quite a few in school and made a point of getting friendly with a couple as I used ritalin heavily for a period in high school.
 
So you defend the drugs that you like when people single them out as "gateway drugs", but when BIG PHARMA is involved, it must be an evil conspiracy to get kids on to meth? I thought better of you guys. *sigh*

I put it down to subconscious self-medication. I've always been seeking out drugs and I've never been on any prescription stimulants.
 
The adderall/cigarette thing definitely applies to me. My cig smoking got much more severe when I was on the different stims, only as prescribed btw. Luckily, I use neither now.
 
ADHD has substance abuse strongly associated with it whether or not the person has ever received treatment for it... My meds strongly diminish my desire to get high. These numbers echo other studies.
 
nuke said:
ADHD has substance abuse strongly associated with it whether or not the person has ever received treatment for it... My meds strongly diminish my desire to get high. These numbers echo other studies.
Click to expand...

Yes exactly. Statistically (who can rely on stats anyway), children with ADHD who are treated with a stimulant medication are less likely to become dependent on other substances. This is due simply to the fact that these children are treated and therefore "cured" of all of the psychological distress associated with ADHD. So, they don't need to self-medicate so to speak to cure any psychological distress because it's already cured. If that makes sense...
 
i have bad adhd and im 18 i its true but only because they put drugs in you at such a young age i was on adderall, concerta, and something else at different times from age 8-13 then i got takin off of it because it fucked with my sleep and eating patterns they had me on such a high dose i tried jumping out my moms car on a free way when i was 11 because i was so strung out i couldnt take my head. now im older and been off it forever and ive done almost every mainstream drug except crack and pcp and a few rarities ;)
 
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