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

presented as a confidential “Schools Health Survey” and contained 31
questions <strong>of</strong> which the one relevant to this topic was:
Have you ever sniffed glue, solvents or
anything else on purpose?
Yes/No
If “Yes”:
Write down the names <strong>of</strong> everything you
ever sniffed or inhaled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Have you ever sniffed enough to feel “high”
or intoxicated?
Yes /No/Don’t know
At interview they found only 106 <strong>of</strong> the 133 positive respondents
confirmed the questionnaire response, whereas all the matched control
group confirmed their negative response. Of the 106, 19.4 percent had
sniffed more than 30 times, and 33.9 percent had sniffed once or twice.
The toxicological testing not only detected volatile compounds in six <strong>of</strong>
the positive respondents but also in one <strong>of</strong> the negative controls (toluene).
Experiences such as these illustrate how much attention to detail is
required to collect meaningful data in this area. Swadi (1990) discussed
the validity <strong>of</strong> data collected from adolescents using self-reported
questionnaires. Clearly worded questionnaires, comprehensible to
youngsters aged 11 or younger with poor reading age and comprehension
are not easy to produce, particularly if they are to be used by people <strong>of</strong>
different cultures or circumstances. For example, the following questions
produce consistently different results (Edwards, personal communication,
July 21, 1993):
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?
a. in your lifetime 0 1-2 3-5 6-9 10-19 20-39 40+
From the High School Senior Survey, Monitoring the Future study,
Johnston and colleagues (1992), the above gives 17 percent repeatedly.
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