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

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(between US $0.04 and US $0.80) a day <strong>on</strong> inhalants. However, there<br />

were some (4 percent) who spent more than 100 baht (or US $4.00) daily.<br />

About 57 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these inhalant users sought treatment because <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

self-motivati<strong>on</strong>. About 33 percent were pressured into seeking treatment<br />

by their family. Legal pressure was a reas<strong>on</strong> reported by a minority<br />

(5 percent). Seventy-<strong>on</strong>e percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> them had received inpatient<br />

treatment, and the rest were treated as outpatients.<br />

Curiosity was the most comm<strong>on</strong>ly reported reas<strong>on</strong> for initiating inhalant<br />

use. This was menti<strong>on</strong>ed by 61 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant abusers who received<br />

treatment. Twenty-three percent had the drugs introduced to them by<br />

friends. Psychological stress was cited by 10 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the abusers.<br />

The organic (industrial) solvents most frequently used included paint<br />

thinners c<strong>on</strong>taining toluene, lacquer, and glue. Toluene was the most<br />

comm<strong>on</strong>ly abused.<br />

The increasing extent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the inhalant abuse problem led to the enactment<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Act <strong>on</strong> the Preventi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Inhalant</str<strong>on</strong>g> Use BE 2533 (1990). Under this<br />

law, sale <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant substances to children under 17 years old is<br />

prohibited. Preventi<strong>on</strong> educati<strong>on</strong> has been implemented as another<br />

c<strong>on</strong>trol measure.<br />

OTHER INFORMATION<br />

Several other countries in the regi<strong>on</strong> are involved in the Asian Multicity<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>Epidemiology</str<strong>on</strong>g> Study, which is coordinated by the Centre for Drug<br />

Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia. They include Bangladesh (Dhaka),<br />

Ind<strong>on</strong>esia (Jakarta), Myanmar (Yang<strong>on</strong>), Nepal (Kathmandu), Sri Lanka<br />

(Colombo), and India (Delhi, Madras, Varanasi). M<strong>on</strong>thly statistics <strong>on</strong><br />

the extent and nature <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> drug abuse in each city that are obtained from<br />

law enforcement and treatment agencies are submitted to the coordinating<br />

center. Data from these countries indicate that there are no cases <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

inhalant abuse that are reported routinely. Only the city <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Colombo<br />

menti<strong>on</strong>ed that inhalant abusers were noted occasi<strong>on</strong>ally.<br />

44

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