KATV Channel 7 - The Spirit of Arkansas: ADHD and Substance Abuse

There's new research that may give parents of ADHD kids reason to be concerned.  There is new research from a study conducted by UCLA psychologists that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are two to three times more likely to develop serious substance abuse problems in adolescence and adulthood.  The study found that when a child is diagnosed with ADHD many of them begin to see first hand the power of taking a drug.  In the study, published online in the Clinical Psychology Review researchers analyzed long-term data on more than ten thousand children into adolescence and young adulthood.  They found both boys and girls with ADHD had a greater risk for developing problems with nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and other drugs.  Addiction counselors say parents need to be on the lookout for symptoms or changes in behavior that may signal drug or alcohol abuse.