Adolescents with at least three symptoms of attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity are more likely to smoke cigarettes and use tobacco products.
- In a study, out of 13,572 adolescents aged 12 to 17, 1,881 received a diagnosis of ADHD.
- The risk of smoking did not differ significantly between young people with asymptomatic ADHDs and adolescents called “witnesses” of the population.
- However, patients with at least three symptoms of the disease were more likely to vape, smoke cigarettes and use other tobacco products.
“Information on longitudinal associations between the diagnosis of attention/hyperactivity deficit disorder (ADHD), severity of symptoms, pharmacotherapy and the use of nicotine and tobacco, including electronic cigarettes, in young people Americans are limited “, The University of Michigan’s University of Ann Arbor (United States) said. This is why the latter wanted to assess whether the diagnosis of this neurode development disorder, the intensity of symptoms and the optimal use of drugs are linked to smoking.
ADHD: more symptoms in young smokers
For the needs of the study, published in the journal Jama Network Openthe team used research data, called “Assessment of Tobacco and Study population”, on 13,572 adolescents aged 12 to 17. Participants and their parents answered questionnaires on the behavior and tobacco consumption from September 2013 to December 2014 and then from October 2014 to April 2023. Among the volunteers, 1,881 received a diagnosis of ADHD. The authors found that the adjusted probabilities of using electronic cigarettes, tobacco, other forms of smoking did not differ significantly between young people with asymptomatic ADHDs and so -called “witness” adolescents.
Nevertheless, compared to young people with asymptomatic ADHDs or people witness to the population, all patients with at least three ADHD symptoms had significantly higher probabilities to vapor, smoke cigarettes and use other products from the products tobacco. Among adolescents suffering from ADHD, those with a very symptomatic form were significantly more likely to start using an electronic cigarette than participants not with symptoms.
“The importance of early diagnosis and effective treatment” of ADHD
“The results highlight the importance of early diagnosis and effective treatment of attention/hyperactivity deficit disorder – with or without pharmacotherapy – to alleviate the symptoms of ADHD and thus reduce the risk of subsequent consumption of nicotine and tobacco among young Americans “, Can we read in the conclusions of the work.
