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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appear to enter treatment that programs may not know what specific<br />
approach is more appropriate for inhalant abusers.<br />
Texas arguably has attempted the most broad-ranging efforts against<br />
inhalant abuse, including most <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the interventi<strong>on</strong>s and policies described<br />
above, as well as instituted an innovative $25 license fee for commercial<br />
establishments to sell certain products c<strong>on</strong>taining inhalants. This has<br />
raised several hundred thousand dollars per year, which the Texas<br />
Commissi<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> Alcohol and Drug <str<strong>on</strong>g>Abuse</str<strong>on</strong>g> uses to fund development <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
print materials about inhalants and to fund several local preventi<strong>on</strong><br />
campaigns. N<strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these efforts have been evaluated for effectiveness.<br />
School-Based Preventi<strong>on</strong><br />
Indeed, most schools have implemented antidrug programs (Office <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Nati<strong>on</strong>al</str<strong>on</strong>g> Drug C<strong>on</strong>trol Policy 1993). This c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong> is derived<br />
primarily from discussi<strong>on</strong>s with experts <strong>on</strong> inhalant abuse. C<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
with Federal and State regulatory and law enforcement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ficials revealed<br />
that they viewed product-oriented policies ineffective, and they believed<br />
there was more potential from preventi<strong>on</strong>. Representatives <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> industry<br />
are adamant that educati<strong>on</strong> and preventi<strong>on</strong> is the best prospect for<br />
reducing inhalant abuse, and they have supported development and<br />
distributi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> such material.<br />
There is str<strong>on</strong>g agreement that preventi<strong>on</strong> and educati<strong>on</strong>, in particular<br />
school-based preventi<strong>on</strong> and educati<strong>on</strong>, should be either <strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a number<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> elements or the major element in the effort against inhalant abuse.<br />
However, this resoluti<strong>on</strong> appears to be poorly implemented in practice.<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Inhalant</str<strong>on</strong>g> abuse is at best a minor part <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> school-based preventi<strong>on</strong><br />
programs but, more importantly, inhalant abuse is not even addressed in<br />
some recently published preventi<strong>on</strong> curricula. In a review <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the 16<br />
school-based preventi<strong>on</strong> curricula in the collecti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> and accessed<br />
through the <str<strong>on</strong>g>Nati<strong>on</strong>al</str<strong>on</strong>g> Clearinghouse <strong>on</strong> Alcohol and Drug Informati<strong>on</strong>, it<br />
was found that <strong>on</strong>ly eight communicate informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> inhalants to the<br />
students (table 6). Another three provided informati<strong>on</strong> about inhalants<br />
<strong>on</strong>ly to the teachers or to parents. Five curricula included no informati<strong>on</strong><br />
about inhalants. Only two curricula approached inhalants as a public<br />
health/pois<strong>on</strong> c<strong>on</strong>trol problem.<br />
The literature <strong>on</strong> drug abuse preventi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fers no guidance <strong>on</strong> how<br />
important it is to address inhalants in interventi<strong>on</strong>s. “Knowledge <strong>on</strong>ly” or<br />
“scare tactic” programs have been found <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten to lack credibility with<br />
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