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

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Several programs have been developed for children over the years. In the<br />

mid- 1970s the government <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Mexico City founded a program that<br />

included a special house for children (for both children in the street and<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the street) that had no antecedents. This program proposed that these<br />

children could be rehabilitated before becoming part <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the street<br />

subculture and that placement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the children in existing instituti<strong>on</strong>s<br />

would put them in c<strong>on</strong>tact with the street culture. An evaluati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

children living in the two types <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> houses differed in many aspects,<br />

inhalati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> substances being a major difference. Only 37 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />

first type <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> minors exhibited the behavior, in c<strong>on</strong>trast to 75 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />

minors living in traditi<strong>on</strong>al instituti<strong>on</strong>s (Caudillo 1982).<br />

NGOs also play an important role in the care <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these children. Most<br />

NGOs are religious organizati<strong>on</strong>s and can be characterized as “closeddoor<br />

instituti<strong>on</strong>s.” Some <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these programs provide food and care for<br />

street children as a n<strong>on</strong>residential service. Children then are <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fered the<br />

opportunity to enter the residential program. These instituti<strong>on</strong>s have staff<br />

known as street educators, who interact with the children in their working<br />

and living envir<strong>on</strong>ments. They gradually try to c<strong>on</strong>vince the children to<br />

get involved in the programs.<br />

Though instituti<strong>on</strong>alizati<strong>on</strong> has been the traditi<strong>on</strong>al resp<strong>on</strong>se to the drug<br />

abuse problem, new alternatives have emerged since the 1980s. Deeper<br />

understanding <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> needs <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the street children has resulted in a new type <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

program called open-door instituti<strong>on</strong>s. The role <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> internati<strong>on</strong>al<br />

organizati<strong>on</strong>s such as the United Nati<strong>on</strong>s Internati<strong>on</strong>al Children’s<br />

Emergency Fund, Internati<strong>on</strong>al Labor Organizati<strong>on</strong>, CHILD HOPE, and<br />

Sweden Acti<strong>on</strong> for Infant Development <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Mexico and Central America<br />

has been <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> major importance. These types <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> programs are <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fered by<br />

governmental organizati<strong>on</strong>s and NGOs and provide services such as<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fering children places where they can go to eat, sleep, or participate in<br />

recreati<strong>on</strong>al activities. Children are free to enter and leave as they desire<br />

but must observe rules that include curfews, no fighting, and no use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

drugs inside the facilities (Gutierrez et al. 1993).<br />

METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES<br />

Drug abuse epidemiologic research was initiated formally in the<br />

beginning <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the 1970s with the establishment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> CEMEF, an<br />

organizati<strong>on</strong> founded by the Government; the organizati<strong>on</strong> later became<br />

the IMP. The research strategy followed has included the development<br />

166

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