Girls medicated for ADHD are less prone to substance abuse

By Melissa Healy

"On college campuses and in high school corridors, there's a lively market for Ritalin and other stimulant medication prescribed to those diagnosed with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. And studies have long shown that kids with ADHD are much more likely than kids without attention problems to experiment with drugs recreationally."

"So, is it the stimulant medication or is it ADHD -- a disorder frequently accompanied by problems of impulse-control -- that makes a kid more likely to abuse illicit substances? Do attention problems make these kids more likely to engage in risk-taking behavior such as substance abuse? Or does the fact that they are likely to take a widely abused prescription drug make these kids more open to abusing other drugs?..."

"A study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine takes the latest crack at the controversy, and finds that for girls with ADHD, being medicated for the condition makes substance abuse less likely. The study builds on recent findings -- by the same group of researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital -- suggesting that medicating boys who have the condition will help, at least, to delay their decision to try illegal substances..."

Full article available at http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2008/10/girls-medicated.ht...