Those with multiple symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a higher likelihood of vaping, smoking, or using other tobacco products, a new study has found.
While the odds did not significantly differ between those with asymptomatic ADHD and the control group, “all youths who had three or more ADHD symptoms had significantly higher adjusted odds of using nicotine and tobacco products”, the study published recently in JAMA Network Open found.
ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. Symptoms include having trouble paying attention and controlling impulsive behaviors, or being overly active. People with “asymptomatic” ADHD experience minimum noticeable symptoms, particularly hyperactivity and impulsivity.
Nicotine as medication
Researchers led by Sean Esteban McCabe, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, analysed data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health, or PATH Study. This study saw 13,572 American youths, between the ages of 12 and 17, answer yearly questions and fill survey forms for a period of nine years.
These included questions about tobacco use and a number of other things — including ones that asked about typical symptoms of ADHD. (One question was: “When was the last time that you did the following things two or more times… Felt restless or the need to run around or climb on things?”)
The data show that the more symptoms a teen reported, the more likely she was to use tobacco. For instance, teens with three or four ADHD symptoms had a 60% greater risk of vaping than did teens with no ADHD symptoms.
The explanation for this lies in the properties of nicotine. Put simply, nicotine releases chemicals in the brain that, for a very short time, make it easier to focus. “So people with ADHD might use tobacco to self-medicate,” McCabe told ScienceNews.
A matter of concern
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These findings add to a large body of evidence suggesting nicotine addiction has a lot to do with an individual’s psychological make-up.
Various studies have previously linked the nicotine in tobacco to anxiety and depression.
Given that tobacco is not only harmful to health, but also extremely addictive, these findings are very significant. For McCabe, the main takeaway is that parents must not ignore symptoms of ADHD.
“This study suggests that if their symptoms of ADHD are controlled through therapy… or if the symptoms naturally dissipate, [kids] remain at lower risk for tobacco and nicotine and associated adverse outcomes,” he said.
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While the rates of cigarette smoking have gone down in the last few decades, a growing number of teens are consuming nicotine via vaping. Although vaping was initially marketed as a “safer alternative” to cigarettes, a number of recent studies have pointed to its numerous harmful effects.
“Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death,” McCabe said, adding that preventing tobacco use would be “a powerful game changer for anyone — including those with ADHD.”
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