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

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PREVENTION AND TREATMENT EFFORTS<br />

Efforts to prevent the use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalants, especially am<strong>on</strong>g high-risk<br />

children in Bolivia, are n<strong>on</strong>existent. No public organizati<strong>on</strong> currently<br />

exists to develop a comprehensive preventi<strong>on</strong> campaign against inhalant<br />

abuse. The role <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Government agencies in addressing inhalant abuse<br />

am<strong>on</strong>g high-risk children is limited to the criminal justice system. The<br />

criminal justice system at times has intervened when inhalant-using street<br />

children have committed crimes.<br />

Overall, preventi<strong>on</strong> efforts against the use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant use have been left<br />

in the hands <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> private instituti<strong>on</strong>s such as CESE (Centro Educativo<br />

Sobre Estupefacientes 1991, 1992a, 1992b, 1993, 1994). CESE is a<br />

private, n<strong>on</strong>pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>it organizati<strong>on</strong> whose main missi<strong>on</strong> is to prevent the use<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> drugs in Bolivia. CESE is funded by the United States Agency for<br />

Internati<strong>on</strong>al Development and has <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fices in La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa<br />

Cruz, and Sucre. Preventi<strong>on</strong> programs sp<strong>on</strong>sored by CESE include: (1)<br />

preventi<strong>on</strong> and educati<strong>on</strong> programs in numerous elementary and<br />

sec<strong>on</strong>dary schools in the above-menti<strong>on</strong>ed cities; (2) a community-based<br />

preventi<strong>on</strong> program that provides services to poor families whose<br />

children do not have access to schools; (3) a preventi<strong>on</strong> program cosp<strong>on</strong>sored<br />

with the Catholic Church to provide informati<strong>on</strong> to parents <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

all social levels c<strong>on</strong>cerning the dangers <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> drug abuse; and (4) a teleph<strong>on</strong>e<br />

hotline that provides informati<strong>on</strong> about the dangers related to drug use<br />

and referral services to drug treatment programs. Other private<br />

organizati<strong>on</strong>s that provide drug abuse preventi<strong>on</strong> and educati<strong>on</strong> services<br />

to the Bolivian populati<strong>on</strong> include Sistema Educativo Antidroga y de<br />

Movilización Social and United Nati<strong>on</strong>s Internati<strong>on</strong>al Children’s<br />

Emergency Fund.<br />

Treatment programs to address the problems <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> drug use in Bolivia are<br />

more readily available than preventi<strong>on</strong> programs. A series <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> treatment<br />

models focusing <strong>on</strong> high-risk youth have been developed by private<br />

instituti<strong>on</strong>s. On the other hand, governmental efforts to develop drug<br />

abuse treatment programs have been n<strong>on</strong>existent. The focus <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />

government in dealing with drug users c<strong>on</strong>tinues to be <strong>on</strong>e that follows<br />

criminal behavior. This approach seeks to change an individual’s drugusing<br />

behavior through punishment or incarcerati<strong>on</strong>.<br />

The focus <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> privately funded treatment programs is <strong>on</strong> the growing<br />

problem <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> children living in the streets. The emphasis <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these programs<br />

is <strong>on</strong> getting these youth <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>f the streets, not <strong>on</strong> addressing the drug-using<br />

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