Epidemiology of Inhalant Abuse - Archives - National Institute on ...
Epidemiology of Inhalant Abuse - Archives - National Institute on ...
Epidemiology of Inhalant Abuse - Archives - National Institute on ...
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and those students and drug users who had never used inhalants. 6 A<br />
tendency also was observed for inhalant abusers to experience appetite<br />
loss and for users <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> other drugs to feel sad and depressed.<br />
According to the cor<strong>on</strong>er’s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fice, solvents were involved in 4.5 percent<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> violent deaths that occurred in Mexico City in 1990, with a rate <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 4<br />
males per female. Forty-<strong>on</strong>e percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the 318 suicides registered in<br />
that same year were drug related. In 10 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> all drug-related<br />
suicides, inhalants were involved. Drugs also were involved in 25<br />
percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the 948 sudden death cases. Am<strong>on</strong>g all drug-related sudden<br />
deaths, 14 percent were related to solvents. According to SISVEA,<br />
intoxicati<strong>on</strong> with inhalants was registered in 9.3 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> traffic<br />
accidents, in 1.2 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> fatal job-related accidents, in 13 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
home accidents, and in 32 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> street accidents (Secretaria de Salud<br />
1992).<br />
PREVENTIVE INTERVENTION AND TREATMENT<br />
Preventi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> drug use has been an interest <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> different instituti<strong>on</strong>s. The<br />
Centro de Integraci<strong>on</strong> Juvenil (CIJ), a private organizati<strong>on</strong> with 24 years<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> experience in the field, has undertaken major resp<strong>on</strong>sibility. CIJ’s<br />
orientati<strong>on</strong> mainly is educative, and the basic principles <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> their program<br />
are health oriented. The instituti<strong>on</strong> also provides primary preventive<br />
services to individuals ages 10 to 54 years at 4 stages in their lives: (1)<br />
childhood; (2) adolescence; (3) young adulthood/early parenthood; and<br />
(4) middle age/parenthood <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> teenagers, or adults who are in c<strong>on</strong>tact with<br />
teenagers through their <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fspring or pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>essi<strong>on</strong> (Cabrera et al. 1992).<br />
Other efforts have been undertaken by governmental organizati<strong>on</strong>s and<br />
NGOs. Though schools always have been subject to programs<br />
coordinated by health and justice sectors, it was not until the<br />
establishment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the CIJ that a unique program oriented toward value<br />
clarificati<strong>on</strong> and health promoti<strong>on</strong> came into existence.<br />
Several instituti<strong>on</strong>s provide treatment for drug addicts in Mexico. The<br />
Social Welfare System has services and programs for drug addicts.<br />
Within the health system, hospitals, community health services, and<br />
emergency rooms provide treatment regulated by guidelines. These<br />
instituti<strong>on</strong>s usually are very busy attending to the health needs <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a large<br />
populati<strong>on</strong> with scarce resources and no outreach programs. Drug addicts<br />
more <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten are treated in specialized centers and self-help groups.<br />
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