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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Epidemiologic data were obtained for nine countries: Australia, Brunei<br />
Darussalam, H<strong>on</strong>g K<strong>on</strong>g, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Republic<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Korea, Singapore, and Thailand. Most <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the other countries in the<br />
regi<strong>on</strong> have difficulties in describing the situati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant use and<br />
abuse because <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> lack <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> informati<strong>on</strong>. Based <strong>on</strong> the resp<strong>on</strong>ses as well as<br />
<strong>on</strong> published literature, a country-by-country summary has been<br />
prepared.<br />
The sources <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> inhalant abuse vary between the countries.<br />
They include data from justice systems (in the case <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Malaysia and<br />
Korea), school surveys (Australia and New Zealand), high-risk groups<br />
(New Zealand and Australia), observati<strong>on</strong>al studies (Australia), clinical<br />
settings (Thailand and the Philippines), and reporting systems (Singapore<br />
and H<strong>on</strong>g K<strong>on</strong>g). Each source provides an indicati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a specific type<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant abuser. For example, school surveys most likely will include<br />
beginners and experimenters, while cases c<strong>on</strong>tacted in clinical settings<br />
will be the more severe abusers. Comparability was limited due to<br />
variati<strong>on</strong>s in sources <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> data. Cauti<strong>on</strong> was exercised in attempting to<br />
compare observati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> different countries. Another limiting factor in<br />
c<strong>on</strong>ducting a regi<strong>on</strong>al analysis is the representativeness <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the data<br />
collected for each country. Most <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the countries’ assessments <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />
problem are based mainly <strong>on</strong> selected samples and groups that may or<br />
may not be generalizable to the total inhalant abuser populati<strong>on</strong> in each<br />
country.<br />
Another limitati<strong>on</strong> is associated with the variati<strong>on</strong>s in method or tools<br />
that were used to gather data and the different ways in which questi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
were c<strong>on</strong>structed. This restricts the cross-cultural comparability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />
results. Furthermore, prevalence rates were not available for most<br />
countries. In spite <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these differences, some comm<strong>on</strong> features can be<br />
inferred from the available informati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
It is very apparent from this regi<strong>on</strong>al analysis that there is a need for more<br />
systematic epidemiological studies to determine the extent and nature <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
the problem <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant abuse and to establish appropriate and feasible<br />
informati<strong>on</strong>-gathering mechanisms that can m<strong>on</strong>itor this problem over<br />
time.<br />
This chapter presents an overview <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the extent and nature <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the problem<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant use and abuse in selected countries in this regi<strong>on</strong>, A descripti<strong>on</strong><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the problem in each country is presented first, followed by an<br />
overall analysis <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the problem in the regi<strong>on</strong>. General trends and patterns<br />
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