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

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TABLE 8. Most-c<strong>on</strong>sumed drugs according to public percepti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

Peruvians from various surveys (values in percentages).<br />

Public Public<br />

Substance opini<strong>on</strong> opini<strong>on</strong><br />

1987 1988<br />

Opini<strong>on</strong><br />

leaders<br />

1990<br />

Public<br />

opini<strong>on</strong><br />

1992<br />

School<br />

children<br />

1992<br />

Coca paste 34.6 34.4 40.9 36.3 8.6<br />

Alcohol 27.3 26.0 17.2 5.6 50.7<br />

Marijuana 26.1 17.8 14.6 20.6 2.8<br />

Cocaine NA 12.9 20.0 20.3 3.0<br />

Tobacco NA 5.8 2.6 6.5 29.4<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>Inhalant</str<strong>on</strong>g>s NA NA NA 8.5 3.4<br />

Others 12.0 3.1 4.7 0.0 2.0<br />

KEY: NA = not available.<br />

SOURCE: Ferrando (1988, 1989, 1991b, 1992); Informati<strong>on</strong> and<br />

Educati<strong>on</strong> Center for the Preventi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Drug <str<strong>on</strong>g>Abuse</str<strong>on</strong>g> (1993).<br />

Am<strong>on</strong>g marginalized children, that is, children working in the streets but<br />

living at home or children living in the street, the problem <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant<br />

abuse is a serious problem. Am<strong>on</strong>g children working in the streets but<br />

living at home, the lifetime prevalence rate for inhalant abuse is high,<br />

ranging from 15 to 45 percent depending <strong>on</strong> the study being cited. For<br />

children living in the streets, the use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant is even more severe. As<br />

menti<strong>on</strong>ed earlier in this chapter, most <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these street children use<br />

inhalants <strong>on</strong> a daily basis.<br />

The lack <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> research <strong>on</strong> the problem <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant abuse is a serious<br />

impediment to development <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> interventi<strong>on</strong> programs and strategies to<br />

address this problem in Perú. Epidemiologic and ethnographic research<br />

<strong>on</strong> the nature and extent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant abuse are obvious prerequisites to<br />

targeted treatment and preventive interventi<strong>on</strong> programs. The urgent<br />

need for current and valid data is underscored by the unique vulnerability<br />

201

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