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

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Furthermore, because inhalant abuse has been reported to be epidemic in<br />

some communities—particularly in selected rural areas and ethnic<br />

minority neighborhoods—efforts should be directed at studying the<br />

dimensi<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this problem and how it can be addressed at the<br />

community level.<br />

Policy Alternative 4: Develop and Deliver Treatment for<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>Inhalant</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Abuse</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

There is no treatment modality or defined therapeutic approach for<br />

inhalant abuse, and there are extremely few treatment programs directed<br />

at inhalant abusers. <str<strong>on</strong>g>Nati<strong>on</strong>al</str<strong>on</strong>g>ly, there are <strong>on</strong>ly about 2,500 to 5,000<br />

pers<strong>on</strong>s with primary inhalant abuse problems admitted to various types<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> substance abuse treatment programs per year. There is no knowledge<br />

about how these patients functi<strong>on</strong> in different kinds <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> treatment<br />

programs, what their retenti<strong>on</strong> is, or, most critically, what their outcomes<br />

are (Jumper-Thurman and Beauvais 1992). This is an area where<br />

research may have a pay<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>f in terms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> identifying practiti<strong>on</strong>ers and<br />

programs that see inhalant abusers and simply accumulating<br />

observati<strong>on</strong>al data before determining whether more rigorous research<br />

efforts should be implemented. Rigorous research may be extremely<br />

difficult to initiate given the small number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant abusers that present<br />

for treatment annually.<br />

FUTURE DIRECTIONS IN POLICY RESEARCH<br />

It is a paradox <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the inhalant problem that, even though inhalant policy<br />

initiatives (primarily State statutes) have been numerous, there have been<br />

virtually no evaluati<strong>on</strong>s performed. This study documented that 43 States<br />

have enacted at least some inhalant legislati<strong>on</strong>. In additi<strong>on</strong>, half <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />

school drug abuse curricula reviewed c<strong>on</strong>tained student comp<strong>on</strong>ents <strong>on</strong><br />

inhalant abuse. However, there have been no studies <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> whether and how<br />

widely such policies have actually been implemented (not merely<br />

promulgated); nor have there been studies <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> what has been d<strong>on</strong>e in the<br />

course <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> implementati<strong>on</strong> (process studies) or outcome studies <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these<br />

initiatives. C<strong>on</strong>sequently, this appears to be an open area for research.<br />

While it is challenging to design and undertake research <strong>on</strong> inhalant<br />

policies, it would not be substantially different from performing<br />

evaluati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> other antidrug initiatives. As noted above, such<br />

evaluati<strong>on</strong>s generally can be differentiated into process evaluati<strong>on</strong>s and<br />

299

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