ADHD Medications Don't Lead To Drug Or Alcohol Abuse

Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: ADHD Also Included In: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Article Date: 30 May 2013 - 10:00 PDT

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For a while now, researchers haven not been sure whether medications such as Ritalin or Adderall can increase the risk of children becoming addicted to substances such as alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, tobacco, etc.

Previously, researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) had found that treatment with stimulant drugs does not increase and significantly decreases the risk that girls with ADHD will begin smoking cigarettes or using alcohol or drugs.

However, by thoroughly analyzing 15 long-term studies which tracked drug abuse among a total of 2,565 children diagnosed with ADHD between 1980 and 2012, the authors were able to come to a more concrete conclusion as to its effects on drug/substance abuse.

The results were somewhat surprising. Two of the studies revealed that children on stimulant medication were at a lower the risk of alcohol abuse, while another said they were at a higher risk.

Study author Kathryn Humphreys, a doctoral student in psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, said that previously "there was evidence for both increased risk and decreased risk for substance problems related to stimulant medication in the treatment of ADHD."

However, this new study indicates that, for the most part, children "who received stimulant medication treatment for ADHD are at no differential risk for these substance outcomes than their counterparts who did not receive medication treatment."

It is important for parents and pediatricians to be aware of all the benefits and risks of treating children with stimulant medication.

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ADHD Medications Don't Lead To Drug Or Alcohol Abuse