Authorized Use of ADD Drugs Increasing Among Baseball Players: Report

The number of Major League Baseball (MLB) players authorized to use drugs to treat attention deficit disorder (ADD) is increasing, the Los Angeles Times reports. Last season, MLB players received 119 exemptions to use ADD drugs — an all-time high. In addition, seven players were disciplined for the unauthorized use of the ADD drug Adderall.

One in 10 players has been diagnosed with ADD, at least double the rate in the general population, the newspaper notes. The number of ADD medication exemptions jumped after MLB banned amphetamines in the 2006 season. That year, the league granted 28 players exemptions. In 2007, that number rose to 103.

Last year, MLB decided the league could investigate a player’s need for ADD medication, instead of simply accepting the prescription of an independent doctor.