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

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(Hughes et al. 1980). The system has been in operati<strong>on</strong> for Mexico City<br />

since 1987.<br />

Finally, the report also is based <strong>on</strong> statistics routinely collected by the<br />

Government and treatment services and compiled by the Informati<strong>on</strong><br />

Center <strong>on</strong> Drugs <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the IMP and from the recently installed System <strong>on</strong><br />

Drug Surveillance (SISVEA) (Secretaria de Salud 1992) and the <str<strong>on</strong>g>Nati<strong>on</strong>al</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

System <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Treatment and Rehabilitati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Addicts (SINTRA),<br />

coordinated by the <str<strong>on</strong>g>Nati<strong>on</strong>al</str<strong>on</strong>g> Council Against Addicti<strong>on</strong>s (CONADIC).<br />

SISVEA collects informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> 11 sites or cities <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the country,<br />

including Mexico City from: (1) statistics <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> subjects in treatment,<br />

mortality indicators, and health c<strong>on</strong>sequences; (2) sentinel posts located<br />

in primary care units and emergency rooms; and (3) interviews with<br />

different types <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> populati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> a n<strong>on</strong>random basis. SINTRA is a<br />

nati<strong>on</strong>al registry <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> addicts in treatment and is in the process <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> being<br />

established.<br />

NATURE AND SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM<br />

Incidence and Prevalence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Use and <str<strong>on</strong>g>Abuse</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

According to the NSA, 4.76 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the urban populati<strong>on</strong> (i.e.,<br />

1,713,000 pers<strong>on</strong>s between the ages <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 12 and 65 years) have c<strong>on</strong>sumed<br />

<strong>on</strong>e or more drugs other than tobacco and alcohol in their lifetimes; 2.06<br />

percent used in the last 12 m<strong>on</strong>ths, and 0.94 percent were active users at<br />

the time <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the survey (defined as use in the previous 30 days). When<br />

<strong>on</strong>ly the young male populati<strong>on</strong> (12-34 years <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> age) was c<strong>on</strong>sidered, the<br />

rates increased to 8.5 percent, 4.17 percent, and 1.18 percent,<br />

respectively. Rates am<strong>on</strong>g females were c<strong>on</strong>siderably lower. <str<strong>on</strong>g>Inhalant</str<strong>on</strong>g>s<br />

(0.76 percent) were the sec<strong>on</strong>d drug category <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> choice after marijuana<br />

(2.99 percent) and were followed closely by tranquilizers (0.72 percent)<br />

(Medina-Mora et al. 1989) (table 2).<br />

Am<strong>on</strong>g high school students, inhalants are the substance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> choice after<br />

tobacco and alcohol. In total, 8.2 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the students reported lifetime<br />

use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> any drug other than tobacco and alcohol, 4.3 percent used drugs in<br />

the last year, and 2.49 percent within the last m<strong>on</strong>th. The percentages for<br />

solvents were 3.5 percent, 1.6 percent, and 0.8 percent, respectively. Use<br />

is c<strong>on</strong>siderably higher am<strong>on</strong>g males (Medina-Mora et al. 1993) (table 3).<br />

140

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