Stimulant Use Helps Reduce Smoking Habits of ADHD Patients: Study

People with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are less likely to smoke by taking stimulant medications, according to a study.

Stimulant drugs like Vyvanse or Concerta are often prescribed to people with ADHD and other behavior disorders that persist during childhood as well as in later years. Majority of ADHD patients are heavy smokers and would have started at an early age as compared to their healthy peers. Various researches in the past suggest adolescents and children with ADHD are two to three times more vulnerable to smoking cigarettes and about 40 percent of adults with this disorder report smoking daily than those without the disorder. Recently, experts from the Duke Medicine found stimulant treatment is linked to lowering smoking habits in ADHD patients.

"Nicotine operates on the same pathways in the brain as stimulant medications, and the relationship between stimulants and smoking has been controversial. It has been suggested that some people with ADHD 'self-medicate' their attention deficits using nicotine," said Erin Schoenfelder, study author and psychologist in the Duke ADHD Program, in a press release.

They used data from 16 studies on cigarette smoking and ADHD treatment involving 2,360 participants diagnosed with the condition. Apart from nicotine dependence, researchers also recorded the participants' smoking behavior like number of times they smoked and if they were currently addicted to smoking cigarettes.

Their findings revealed the use of stimulant drugs helped curb smoking habits in participants. This effect was particularly high among those diagnosed with extreme ADHD, who repeatedly took the medication.

"Our findings show that treating ADHD effectively with medication may prevent young people from picking up the habit," said Schoenfelde.

However, the study did not establish a cause and effect relationship. The authors believe further investigation is needed to determine dosage influence and the duration of its intake to bring down excessive smoking. They add these results contradict the notion that stimulant drugs increase the risk of smoking in children with ADHD.

"It gives us more confidence when we speak to parents and reassure them that consistent ADHD treatment won't increase their children's risk of smoking, and in fact, may actually do the opposite. My hope is that this research helps prevent negative outcomes for kids with ADHD, including cigarette smoking," Schoenfelder added.

More information is available online in the journal Pediatrics.