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

Recommendations and
Conclusions
Zili Sloboda, Nicholas Kozel, and Mario De La Rosa
This monograph underscores the urgent need for national and crossnational
research to understand more comprehensively the patterns and
trends, incidence and prevalence, etiology, resiliency and vulnerability
factors, and social and health consequences <strong>of</strong> inhalant use and abuse in
the world community. The findings presented in this volume document
the endemic and global nature <strong>of</strong> this problem, and current research has
demonstrated the severity <strong>of</strong> the medical consequences associated with
the different classes <strong>of</strong> solvents and nitrites. At the same time, little
systematic information exists in such vital areas as deaths associated with
inhalant use from medical examiners or medical emergencies due to the
use and abuse <strong>of</strong> inhalants. There is a need to develop surveillance
systems in different parts <strong>of</strong> the world that can collect data on the health
and social consequences associated with inhalant use and to begin efforts
to establish comparability <strong>of</strong> findings. Natural history studies that can
provide detailed information on the impact <strong>of</strong> inhalant use upon the
physical and psychological well-being <strong>of</strong> users also are needed.
Similarly, information on the extent <strong>of</strong> the problem <strong>of</strong> inhalant use and
abuse in many countries <strong>of</strong> the world also is needed. General population
surveys and studies that collect comprehensive information on the
prevalence and patterns <strong>of</strong> inhalant use and abuse to determine the
severity and extent <strong>of</strong> the problem <strong>of</strong> inhalant use are needed.
Concomitantly, ethnographic studies are needed to determine the extent
and severity <strong>of</strong> inhalant use among special population groups such as
street children, school dropouts, children who enter the work force at an
early age, females <strong>of</strong> childbearing age, Native-American populations, and
other hidden populations. Additionally, a rapid data system modeled
after the <strong>National</strong> <strong>Institute</strong> on Drug <strong>Abuse</strong> (NIDA) Community
<strong>Epidemiology</strong> Work Group could serve to collect information on the
changing patterns <strong>of</strong> inhalant use and consequences associated with the
use <strong>of</strong> the various classes <strong>of</strong> inhalants.
There also is a need for research to investigate the underlying factors
responsible for inhalant use among individuals who are at high risk <strong>of</strong>
using inhalants. Such research should explore individual vulnerability to
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