2006 Press Release ADHD Medication Misuse by Those Aged 12 to 17 Results in Higher Number of Visits to Emergency Department

Advisory


	Date:	September 22 , 2006
	Media Contact:	SAMHSA Press
	Telephone:	240-276-2130



	ADHD Medication Misuse by Those Aged 12 to 17 Results in Higher Number of Visits to Emergency Department
	People ages 18 to 25 have a higher rate of nonmedical use of the two medications used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but those 12 to 17 may be at greater risk for adverse health effects, particularly from nonmedical use, a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows. The latest Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) Report, Emergency Department Visits Involving ADHD Stimulant Medications, explains that during 2004 almost 8,000 visits to the emergency department involved methylphenidate (marketed as Ritalin or Concerta) or amphetamine-dextroamphetamine (marketed as Adderal), two medications used to treat ADHD. The rates of emergency department visits resulting from use of either of these two drugs by patients aged 12 to 17 were higher in 2004 than the rates for patients aged 18 or older. In addition, the data suggest that polydrug use —one or more drugs being used in addition to ADHD medication—was common in the emergency department visits involving the misuse of ADHD medication and may increase the possible health risks. “These findings suggest an alarming level of nonmedical use that could have life-threatening consequences, such as heart attack or stroke. Parents need to help break this dangerous pattern of behavior by carefully monitoring their child’s use of ADHD medication,” said Assistant Surgeon General Eric Broderick, D.D.S., M.P.H., SAMHSA Acting Deputy Administrator. For patients aged 12 to 17 taking methylphenidate for medical use, there were 1.6 visits to the emergency department per 100,000 people in this age group, compared to 0.4 visits per 100,000 people in the18 to 24 age group. Among the emergency department visits related to the nonmedical use of methylphenidate, there were 1.7 visits per 100,000 people in the12 to 17 age group, compared to 1.0 per 100,000 people in the18 to 24 age group. For patients aged 12 to17 taking amphetamine-dextroamphetamine for medical use, there were 1.2 visits to the emergency department per 100,000 people in this age group compared to 0.6 per 100,000 people in the 18 to 24 age group. The rate of emergency department visits involving nonmedical use of this drug was 2.8 visits per 100,000 people aged 12 to 17, compared to 1.7 visits per 100,000 people aged 18 to 24. For all age groups reporting nonmedical use of ADHD medications, 32 percent of patients had ingested the ADHD medication alone. For the 68 percent using one or more drugs in addition to the ADHD medication, 20 percent reported using alcohol, 26 percent used an illicit drug, and 57 percent used another pharmaceutical. Findings from another SAMHSA report, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, have shown that those aged 18 to 25 had a higher rate of nonmedical use of ADHD stimulant medications than those who were younger or older, largely because college students, who fall within this age group, are believed to use these drugs for their stimulant properties as study aids. A January 2006 Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended that ADHD medication carry a warning of an increased potential for cardiac problems, such as hypertension, cardiac arrests, and stroke. The possibility of experiencing medical problems may be exacerbated by using ADHD medication improperly or in combination with other drugs. TheNational Survey on Drug Use and Healthshows that nonmedical use of ADHD stimulant medications is still relatively low (0.3 percent of the population aged 12 or older during the past year). This new DAWN report examines the reasons for the ED visits and the relative frequency of these visits for different age groups. SAMHSA’s Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) is a public health surveillance system that measures some of the health consequences of drug use by monitoring drug-related visits to hospital emergency departments. The short report is available on the web at www.oas.samhsa.gov.



	SAMHSA, is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation’s substance abuse prevention, addictions, treatment, and mental health services delivery system.

SAMHSA is An Agency of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Service