1.8 Million Youth Initiate Inhalant Abuse
An
average of 598,000 youth age 12 to 17 initiated inhalant
use in the past 12 months, based on data from 2002 to
2004, according to a new report from SAMHSA released
recently at a press conference by the National Inhalant
Prevention Coalition to kick off National Inhalants &
Poisons Awareness Week in March.
This number represents an estimated 1.8 million new
initiates to inhalants in 3 years. The report's data
are extracted from 3 years of the National Survey on
Drug Use and Health.
Thirty percent of those initiating inhalant use in the
12 months prior to being surveyed were age 12 or 13,
39.2 percent were age 14 or 15, and 30.8 percent were
age 16 or 17. The majority of these youth were white
and from homes with incomes well above the poverty line.
The report, Characteristics of Recent Adolescent
Inhalant Initiates, indicates that the most popular
categories of inhalants among those who are recent initiates
to the practice are glue, shoe polish, or toluene (used
by 30.3 percent of new initiates); gasoline or lighter
fluid (used by 24.9 percent); nitrous oxide or "Whippets"
(used by 24.9 percent); spray paints (used by 23.4 percent);
correction fluid, degreaser, or cleaning fluid (used
by 18.4 percent); other aerosol sprays (used by 18.0
percent); amyl nitrite or "poppers," locker
room deodorizers or "rush" (used by 14.7 percent);
and lacquer thinner or other paint solvents (used by
11.7 percent).
For a copy of the report, visit the SAMHSA Web site
at www.oas.samhsa.gov/2K6/inhalants/inhalants.cfm.
For more information, visit the National Inhalant Prevention
Coalition Web site at www.inhalants.org
or visit the National Institute on Drug Abuse Web site
at
www.inhalants.drugabuse.gov.
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