Epidemiology of Inhalant Abuse - Archives - National Institute on ...

FIGURE 1. Substance abusers treated in the health care system
from 1976 to 1991 in Hungary.
SOURCE: <strong>National</strong> <strong>Institute</strong> for Psychiatry and Neurology,
Budapest, Hungary (unpublished data, 1992).
abusers were examined: demographic and social background, childhood
and transition to adulthood, social contacts, drugs <strong>of</strong> primary abuse, other
deviant behaviors among the abusers, leisure-time activity, and religiosity.
The four investigated groups were different, but no special drug
subculture was found.
The investigator assigned the 120 subjects to 1 <strong>of</strong> 7 groups according to
the preferred drug, defined as the drug used for the longest period <strong>of</strong> time.
The instrument <strong>of</strong> investigation was a 3-hour structured interview
focusing on the themes mentioned above. The following groups were
formed:
1. Opiate abusers: Ten people abused this drug for at least 1-2 years
(9 males, 1 female; average age, 20 years; 1 person’s first choice <strong>of</strong>
drugs was a volatile substance; 7 started with opiates, 2 with
marijuana).
2. Cannabis abusers: Seventeen persons consumed either marijuana or
hashish weekly or daily for at least a year (10 males, 7 females;
average age, 22.3 years; 10 started with marijuana, one with opiates,
and 3 with inhalants).
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