(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Smoking is a serious health hazard for everyone who smokes, but it is a special hazard for two particular groups - adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and teenagers. Adults who have ADHD have much higher smoking rates than other adults - rates are estimated to be twice as high. A current theory is that increased use of nicotine among people with ADHD may be a form of self-medication, since nicotine has been found to reduce such ADHD symptoms as restlessness and inability to concentrate. Teen smoking is also a problem for two different reasons - the vast majority of adult smokers begin smoking during their teen years, and it is difficult for teens to stop smoking once they start experimenting.

Helping adults with ADHD stop smoking
The first study, called ATTEND, is for adults age 18 to 55 who would like to stop smoking and who may have ADHD. "ADHD affects seven to eight million adults in the United States," says Carla Green, PhD, senior investigator and principal investigator for the study at Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research (CHR). "Many people who have ADHD have not actually had it diagnosed or may not know they have it." Common ADHD symptoms include difficulty sustaining attention, distractibility, procrastination, difficulty organizing and completing tasks, misplacing things, restlessness, impulsivity, and talking out of turn.

The goal of the study is to find out if a medication that has been proved effective in treating ADHD - the medication is called ConcertaT (Methylphenidate) - will also help people who have ADHD to stop smoking.

To be able to participate, volunteers will receive a screening test to determine the severity of their ADHD symptoms, and the level of their cigarette use. Those who are eligible will be randomly selected to receive either ConcertaT or a placebo. All participants will also receive a proven smoking cessation program, which includes nicotine patches and behavioral counseling for nicotine dependence. Reimbursement for time and travel will be offered to everyone who participates in the study.

If you - or someone you know - would like more information or to volunteer for the study, please call the ATTEND staff at 503-335-6613 or, toll free, at 1-866-450-4940. You do not have to be a Kaiser Permanente member to participate in the study.

Helping teens stop smoking
The second research study, called QuitHelper, is free, private, and open to teens, ages 15 to 18, who have smoked any cigarettes in the past month and are thinking about quitting. Participants do not need to be Kaiser Permanente members. The QuitHelper study will test two different interventions to help teens stop smoking. Teens who join the study will be randomly assigned to receive either:

• brief phone counseling and access to a secure website that includes teen-tailored information on how and why to quit smoking, or
• a five-session, teen-tailored telephone counseling program combined with a secure website program designed to guide teens through the quitting process.

Teens in both groups will be asked to fill out short, on-line follow-up questionnaires at six and 12 months to assess their smoking/non-smoking status.

"The QuitHelper program provides support, not nagging or lectures," says Jack Hollis, PhD, senior investigator and principal investigator for the study at CHR. "It builds on a previous CHR teen smoking study, which found that a computer-based intervention and brief counseling during a medical office visit doubled the long-term quit rate over two years. The program requires no medical visits or classes. Instead, the program is delivered entirely over the phone and through the web to enhance convenience and privacy, and to provide more support over time."

Teens who might be interested in joining the study or who would like more information can contact QuitHelper by calling 503-335-6749 or, toll free, 1-866-356-0211.

Disclosures:
ATTEND is a two-year study funded by a $798,000 grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The study is also being conducted at five other sites throughout the United States, and a total of more than 250 adult smokers with ADHD will participate. QuitHelper is a five-year study funded by a $3.4 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The study is being conducted only at CHR, and 600 teen smokers will participate.

Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research, founded in 1964, is a non-profit research organization. Kaiser Permanente Northwest is a prepaid group practice health care organization serving the medical needs of 485,000 people in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

For more infomation contact:

Released: October 9, 2006