2.8 million

Number of U.S. children using stimulant drugs to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 2008, a figure that has climbed steadily each year since 1996. The rise was sharpest in teens aged 13 to 18: in 1996, 2.3% teens in this age group used ADHD drugs; in 2008, the rate was 5%. The highest rate of stimulant use was in 6-to-12-year-olds, but that rate had held relatively steady over time, from 4.2% in 1996 to 5.1% in 2008. The overall rate of stimulant use in teens under age 18 rose from 2.4% to 3.5% over the same time period, the new study found, and boys were three times as likely as girls to be treated with the drugs. About 9% of children aged 6 to 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD at some point. [via MedPage Today]