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

The primary method <strong>of</strong> use is sniffing from a plastic bag. On rare
occasions some substances are made into a cocktail and drunk
(e.g., kerosene and cola, methylated spirits and orange juice or cola,
and gasoline and cola). Volatile solvents are readily available to young
people in New Zealand.
Most <strong>of</strong> the inhalant abusers are within the 14- to 18-year-old age group,
although recently the age <strong>of</strong> these abusers has been slightly younger.
Early experimenters were found in the 10- to 13-year-old age bracket. In
several cities in New Zealand, there is an older age group (20-25 years) <strong>of</strong>
solvent users. Sniffers predominantly are male, either school students or
unemployed. Most come from low- to middle-income families. Solvent
abusers <strong>of</strong>ten congregate in large groups and are highly visible.
Boredom, peer pressure abuse (which includes sexual abuse among
young women), and families who use excessive amounts <strong>of</strong> alcohol are
factors that have been related to use <strong>of</strong> solvents (Meredith 1992). The
visible groups <strong>of</strong> solvent abusers are usually Maori, the indigenous New
Zealanders. However, there are users <strong>of</strong> European descent who are less
visible. Solvent abusers come from a range <strong>of</strong> educational backgrounds.
Some are low achievers, while others are average to high achievers.
Polydrug use is quite common. Many solvent abusers also have access
to alcohol and cannabis (Arnold 1983; Birdling 1981).
Solvent-related mortality data have been recorded since 1977. For the
period from 1977 to 1992, 47 deaths as a consequence <strong>of</strong> solvent
inhalation were reported. About 80 percent <strong>of</strong> these abusers were male,
and 74 percent <strong>of</strong> them were younger than 20. The most common
solvents in these cases were gasoline, toluene, benzene, trichloroethane,
and bromochlor<strong>of</strong>luroethane, which is used in fire extinguishers
(Meredith 1992).
There is no national law against inhalant abuse. Only two cities have bylaws
prohibiting solvent abuse within city boundaries. Attempts have
been made to restrict the sale <strong>of</strong> solvents through legislation.
New Zealand has developed a range <strong>of</strong> strategies that have assisted in the
reduction <strong>of</strong> the problem. Most <strong>of</strong> these efforts are supported by local
community organizations and are funded by the Government. Support
services include daily activities, drop-ins, street workers, referral to
residential programs, family counseling, and referral to addiction
counsellors. Group work approaches have shown some success, and
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