Study concludes Harry Potter is 'addictive'

A study conducted by researchers at Pennsylvania's Muhlenberg College has concluded that, for 10% of fans, Harry Potter is "addictive."

For his research, psychology professor Dr. Jeffrey Rudski "used craving scales that had been established for smoking, substituting 'Deathly Hallows' for cigarettes. They surveyed fans before the book's release, upon completion of the book and six months afterwards as a follow-up. The 10 percent of respondents that Rudski considers addicted described spending more than four hours a day on Potter-related activities, experiencing interference with appetite and sleep patterns, engaging in less physical activity, having a lower sense of well-being and being more irritable after completing the series."

Rudski noted that such addictions can have positive consequences, such as increasing interest in learning Latin or reading Stephen King and John Irving in preparation for JK Rowling's charity reading with the two authors in New York City two years ago.