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

FIGURE 1. Lifetime prevalence for 12th graders <strong>of</strong> inhalant use
including nitrites, inhalants only, and nitrites only.
SOURCE: Monitoring the Future study (Johnston et al. 1992b).
Figure adapted from Beauvais (1992b).
just as steadily, stabilizing during the period from 1987 to 1989. This
very important trend can be obscured depending on the convention used
for defining inhalants.
Results obtained from survey inhalant questions also are highly sensitive
to the wording and phrasing <strong>of</strong> the question. For most other drugs, as
long as the question is clearly put and the response alternatives are simple
and direct, rates <strong>of</strong> use reported do not seem to be highly dependent on
the form <strong>of</strong> the question. For example, most surveys that are given in the
same time period to similar populations show almost identical rates <strong>of</strong> use
for marijuana, cocaine, and most other drugs, even when the phrasing <strong>of</strong>
the questions differs somewhat from survey to survey. This is not true,
however, for inhalants. As an example, the Monitoring the Future study
(Johnston et al. 1992b) uses the following question:
On how many occasions (if any) have you sniffed glue, or breathed the
contents <strong>of</strong> aerosol spray cans, or inhaled any other gases or sprays to get
high . . .
...in your lifetime
0 1-2 3-5 6-9 10-19 20-39 40+
10