Researchers found that calls to poison centers about teen victims of prescription ADHD drugs jumped 76 percent between 1998 and 2005. That increase was greater than the 55 percent increase in calls about teen substance abuse.
"The sharp increase, out of proportion to other poison center calls and general poison center use, suggests a rising problem with abuse, teen abuse and particularly teen ADHD stimulant medication abuse," said the researchers. "It may be that abuse is rising, or it may be that increased calls are a result of the escalating severity, perhaps reflecting the shift toward amphetamine use."
The report is based on the findings of researchers at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, and is published in the online journal Pediatrics. Researchers reviewed data from the American Association of Poison Control Center's National Poison Data System between 1998 and 2005 for all cases of ADHD prescription drug abuse among patients ages 13 to 19.
(Sources: www.medpagetoday.com)
Labels: adhd medications, teen abuse
Posted By: Aspen Education Group