Stimulant therapy for ADHD in teens doesn’t increase risk of cocaine or methamphetamine use later
Many parents whose kids take prescription stimulants like Ritalin to treat ADHD worry that it could lead to illicit drug use later. A University of Michigan study appearing in JAMA Network Open found that that’s not the case. Researchers report that high school seniors who used stimulant therapy are no more likely to use cocaine or methamphetamine as young adults (ages 19-24) than peers who did not use stimulant therapy to treat ADHD as teenagers.
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