New DASIS Report: Adolescent Admissions Reporting Inhalants: 2006

Inhalants are substances whose vapors or gas can be sniffed or inhaled to produce mind-altering effects and whose chronic use may cause irreversible damage to the brain, kidneys, and lungs. Found in a range of inexpensive and readily available household, office, industrial, and automotive products, inhalants include substances such as hair spray, shoe polish, glue, gasoline, lighter fluid, spray paints, and other aerosol sprays. Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) have shown that the primary abusers of inhalants are adolescents aged 12 to 17.

The following are brief findings found in the report:

			Adolescents aged 12 to 17 accounted for 8 percent of admissions to substance abuse treatment in 2006; however, they represented 48 percent of all admissions reporting inhalants.
			Females comprised a larger proportion of adolescent admissions reporting inhalants than of adolescent admissions not reporting inhalants (41 vs. 30 percent).
			In 2006, 45 percent of adolescent admissions reporting inhalants had a concurrent psychiatric disorder in contrast to only 29 percent of their counterparts who did not report inhalants.

Download DASIS Report:

Adolescent Admissions Reporting Inhalants: 2006  (402 KB)