13 Dec ADHD and Conduct Disorders Linked to Early Tobacco and Alcohol Use

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
William Brinkman, MD, MEd, MSc
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Director, Research Section, Division of General & Community Pediatrics
Research Director, Cincinnati Pediatric Research Group
James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Dr. Brinkman: Early onset of substance use is a significant public health concern as those who use substances before the mid-teen years are more likely to develop dependence than those who start later. The association of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder (CD) with tobacco and alcohol use has not been assessed in a young adolescent sample representative of the U.S. population.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?

Dr. Brinkman: In a national sample of 12 to 15 year olds, adolescents with ADHD+CD diagnoses had a 3- to 5-fold increased likelihood of using tobacco and alcohol and initiated use at a younger age compared to those with neither disorder. Having ADHD alone was associated with an increased likelihood of tobacco use but not alcohol use. Each inattention symptom increased the odds of tobacco and alcohol use by 8-10%.  Each conduct disorder symptom increased the odds of tobacco use by 31%.

MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Brinkman: Our findings underscore the need to counsel families about the risk of substance use as children approach adolescence.  This need is heightened among children with ADHD and/or CD diagnoses or symptomatology who are at greater risk.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Brinkman: Future studies are needed to determine whether programs designed to reduce inattention symptoms and conduct problems in the general population will effectively decrease or delay the onset of tobacco and alcohol use.

Citation:

Association of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder with early tobacco and alcohol use
William B. Brinkman ,Jeffery N. Epstein ,Peggy Auinger ,Leanne Tamm , Tanya E. Froehlich

Drug and Alcohol Dependence Available online 1 December 2014

Last Updated on December 13, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD