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

social communication; (4) education and community participation; (5)
early identification, treatment and, rehabilitation; and (6) epidemiologic
surveillance, basic clinical and social research, evaluation <strong>of</strong> the program,
and training <strong>of</strong> human resources.
The justice sector also has been active in addressing the problem. In the
mid-1980s, the Attorney General’s Office created a prevention program
that included health and justice actions. This included detection and
prosecution <strong>of</strong> drug dealers, as well as education and health initiatives.
Different institutions were invited to participate, and actions were
coordinated through an organization called Attention Program for the
Drug Dependence <strong>of</strong> the Attorney General’s Office (ADEFAR).
During a former administration, a new program for drug control was
developed. It was coordinated by the Attorney General’s Office and
included supply and demand reduction components. All institutions
reported their activities to the coordinators <strong>of</strong> this program. More
recently, a new <strong>Institute</strong> for Drug Control was established within this
sector. It will coordinate actions against illegal supply <strong>of</strong> drugs and also
will include actions against demand. It is not yet clear the role that
solvents will be playing, as the <strong>Institute</strong> is mostly oriented toward the
control <strong>of</strong> illegal drugs.
Inhalation <strong>of</strong> solvents is the subject <strong>of</strong> serious concern in all sectors <strong>of</strong> the
Government. During the current administration, the government <strong>of</strong> the
City <strong>of</strong> Mexico, with the participation <strong>of</strong> CONADIC, created a fund
called FISI, a trust for stopping abuse <strong>of</strong> solvents and inhalants through
the contributions <strong>of</strong> producers and importers <strong>of</strong> these substances. This
fund supports research, establishes standards to protect the environment,
and develops programs to prevent abuse <strong>of</strong> these substances. Basic,
epidemiological, social, and clinical research is part <strong>of</strong> the research
activities that this program supports.
NOTES
1. The head <strong>of</strong> the family is the person that provides the biggest
proportion <strong>of</strong> family income.
2. This analysis was performed for data from Mexico City, dividing
users in two groups: those who include inhalants among the drugs
that they consume, and those who do not.
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