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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<str<strong>on</strong>g>Inhalant</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Abuse</str<strong>on</strong>g> in Bolivia<br />
Laura Edith Baldivieso<br />
The purpose <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this chapter is to provide a general overview <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the extent<br />
and nature <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the inhalant use problem in Bolivia. Data were derived<br />
from a comprehensive review <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the literature <strong>on</strong> drug abuse in Bolivia.<br />
Additi<strong>on</strong>ally, informati<strong>on</strong> is provided <strong>on</strong> the socioec<strong>on</strong>omic c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
Bolivians, particularly the plight <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> children living in the streets. The<br />
impact <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Bolivia’s ec<strong>on</strong>omic c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> the growing problem <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
street children and <strong>on</strong> the problem <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant use also are discussed.<br />
BOLIVIA: THE COUNTRY<br />
Bolivia is <strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> two landlocked countries in South America. Currently,<br />
the populati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Bolivia is approximately 6,420,792 (Instituto Naci<strong>on</strong>al<br />
de Estadistica 1993). Data from the 1992 nati<strong>on</strong>al household census<br />
shows that approximately 42 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the populati<strong>on</strong> is under the age <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
15 (see figure 1). Additi<strong>on</strong>ally, the 1992 census shows that Bolivia is <strong>on</strong>e<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, with 80 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />
populati<strong>on</strong> living in poverty.<br />
Data from several other sources provide a grim picture <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Bolivian youth.<br />
A study c<strong>on</strong>ducted by Ardaya and Domic (1991) found that<br />
approximately 290,000 children under the age <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 15 are either working or<br />
living in the streets or are instituti<strong>on</strong>alized. This represents about 10.8<br />
percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> individuals under the age <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 15 living in Bolivia. This<br />
significantly high number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> youth living in Bolivia in extreme poverty<br />
c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s has created an envir<strong>on</strong>ment c<strong>on</strong>ducive to the abuse <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> drugs,<br />
particularly inhalants, which are readily available everywhere in the<br />
country (see figure 2).<br />
INHALANT USE<br />
A review <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the literature shows that 9 <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 27 studies that have collected<br />
data <strong>on</strong> the illicit drug use behavior <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Bolivians included informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong><br />
the use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalants (see table 1). Of these nine studies <strong>on</strong>ly two studies,<br />
Roth and colleagues (unpublished manuscript) and ABC Communicati<strong>on</strong><br />
50