ADHD and Smoking

by Karoli on September 23, 2006

This study concludes that mothers who smoke during pregnancy have a more-than-doubled risk of their child having ADHD.

I’m not going to argue with the conclusion that pregnant women shouldn’t smoke — I agree with it. In fact, I stopped smoking when I was pregnant — it was the only time I could do it easily. (Don’t ask why I started again after quitting…stupid, I know)

The problem I have with these studies is that they ignore the genetic component of ADHD. I could argue that I didn’t smoke during my pregnancies and 2 of 3 kids don’t have ADHD. I did all the things one is supposed to do when they’re pregnant — ate right, took my vitamins, exercised, didn’t smoke, didn’t drink, and didn’t take so much as an aspirin for the duration.

When I read a study like this I’m immediately taken aback by how guilt-inducing a conclusion like this can be. Can you imagine all the mothers out there who did smoke, have ADHD kids, and live with that regret?

Oh, and did I mention that neither one of my parents ever, ever smoked? My dad is a poster child for ADHD. His mother probably was too.

Here’s the part that bugs me, though. Nicotine is one of the most effective ways to self-medicate ADHD. Therefore, if you have a mom with (presumably) undiagnosed ADHD and she is a smoker, is it the smoking or the genetic component that is most responsible for ADHD in the child? One can be changed; the other can’t.

That wasn’t a factor they considered in this study. Whatever the reasons, smoking is just bad if you’re pregnant. Well..let’s be real. It’s bad no matter what. I know, I know…quitting is a good idea. Tomorrow.

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  • Bjorn from Norway
    I smoke.

    I'm so lucky as to have gotten ADD-traits from both sides of my family, allthough my mother quit smoking when she was pregnant.

    I some times think that I'm fortunate to not have the hyperactive part of the diagnosis, but the attention disorder is enough for me.

    Now, I got I got married this summer, and (yay!) it's been half a year. Already, everything is crumbling and even though I know ADD has a lot to do with it, I can't bring it up. My wife thinks it is running away from my responsibilities if I mention ADD whenever I've forgotten something or make a promise I couldn't keep.

    So I've got a problem that I've had my entire life, I smoke to alleviate the symptoms and she says I have to quit. I understand that. It's just that I can't. I'm not on any ADHD-medication (my previous psychiatrist actually gave up on me because I was unable to take the pills every three hours. I forgot. Imagine that.) and every time I get stressed or too unfocused I have a cigarette to calm me down.

    It's funny how the Alan Carr's easy-way-to-stop-smoking seems to work for everyone else. Is it just a placebo effect, or does smoking really help? Is there any way of defending that I smoke? Should I even be defending it...? I really wish I didn't smoke, and I've wanted to quit since the time I discovered I was addicted.

    Yeah, I'm going to quit smoking.
    Tomorrow.

    Because right now I really need a cigarette, again.

    I'm never going to give up though. Life is hard with ADD/ADHD, but there are more people in the world having a tough time without it than with it. Every time I feel like throwing in the towel and retiring to the next world, I try to keep that in mind. At least I live in a country where I'm pretty much guaranteed to have a place to live and something to eat.

    That's something, at least.

    (Oh, and sorry for complaining. I was just so full of it right now...)

    -Bjørn
  • Thanks, Doc. I do know what to do -- it's a matter of actually getting up and doing it. :)

    So it's not just overcoming addiction -- it's also overcoming procrastination.

    (How lame did THAT just sound?...sometimes seeing it in black and white just drives it home...)
  • There was nothing called ADHD when I was a kid, but I knew my father self-medicated by smoking. That's one reason I never took it up.

    He died at 70 of his 5th heart attack. His first came when he 59 -- a year younger than I am now.

    His mother lived to 107 and never smoked. His sister is 94 and never smoked.

    My mother lived to 90 and never smoked, but had severe macular degeneration, possibly caused or exacerbated by passive smoking.

    You know what to do. We're cheering the effort from the sidelines.

    Best,

    Doc
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