Hence why I think the "ADHD Overdiagnosis Epidemic" in the USA is bullshit -- the fact of the matter is that 45% of the USA smoked in the 1950s, a number which has since been cut in half [1]. Considering the hypothesis that intoxication is a basic human need, it stands to reason that, given the stigmatization and taxation of tobacco, that we're now just relying on amphetamine rather than nicotine. I'd suggest that ADHD has been engrained in American life for at least a century, the difference being that, up until 10-20 years ago, we had a readily-accessible, socially-acceptable medication for it.
[2] Siegel, Ronald K (2005). Intoxication: The Universal Drive for Mind-Altering Substances. Park Street Press, Rochester, Vermont. ISBN 1-59477-069-7.
A friend of mine is a psychiatrist who specializes in treating ADHD. She told me about a conference she went to recently, where someone presented an interesting paper.
Apparently, there was an amazing study done relatively recently (last five years), in which they demonstrated that, in mice, exposure to nicotine during pregnancy results in higher rates of ADHD in the grandchildren (passed down through the female offspring exposed to nicotine in utero, not the males).
I can't find the study at the moment, but the findings would be monumental if they also apply to humans too.
[1] http://www.gallup.com/poll/109048/us-smoking-rate-still-comi...
[2] Siegel, Ronald K (2005). Intoxication: The Universal Drive for Mind-Altering Substances. Park Street Press, Rochester, Vermont. ISBN 1-59477-069-7.