We know that segments of the population with lower education and lower socio-economic resources are at a higher risk for developing smoking dependence. The authors in a new study in the Journal of Attention Disorders wanted to see if there was any relationship between ADHD and nicotine dependence.
First of all, what is nicotine dependence? There is a pretty good clinical definition out there, but basically it boils down to whether you find yourself needing a smoke. If you feel this way then chances are, you have nicotine dependence. Nicotine is a very addictive drug in tobacco which creates a contentment in the brain by releasing a specific neurotransmitter, dopamine. People who have a high nicotine dependence typically crave this feeling.
It should be no surprise then, as we read how the researchers discovered a very strong link between ADHD and nicotine dependence in adulthood. They point out the lack of research in ADHD adults who smoke. The results of their study show a higher rate of smokers in the ADHD study group. This is no real surprise and has been shown before in the literature. But they also found that adult smokers with the ADHD diagnosis had a more severe nicotine dependence and smoked at a significantly more higher frequency when sick. Smoking when sick is an indication of strong nicotine dependence/addiction. ADHD women smoked significantly more frequently and initiated smoking at a younger age.
So what does this tell us? Well, it says that people with ADHD tend to smoke more frequently than other parts of the population. It also states that their nicotine dependence is much higher, especially in women, than in the traditional smoking population.
This is important to note as it may help direct treatment strategies for those who suffer from ADHD.
