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

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however, rarely is taken into c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong> in Government circles and in<br />

the mass media coverage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the problem. As a result, the prevailing trend<br />

found in Brazil is the identificati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> all children spending some time <strong>on</strong><br />

the streets as “aband<strong>on</strong>ed” children who rob and c<strong>on</strong>sume drugs all the<br />

time. This percepti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> street children also is held by a number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

internati<strong>on</strong>al agencies. Additi<strong>on</strong>ally, <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ficial figures furnished by<br />

unnamed Brazilian authorities estimate the number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> street children to be<br />

7 milli<strong>on</strong>. C<strong>on</strong>sequently, this issue has become the subject <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

disproporti<strong>on</strong>ate alarm in certain nati<strong>on</strong>al and internati<strong>on</strong>al instances.<br />

Some Brazilian demographers have made efforts to give numerical<br />

c<strong>on</strong>sistency to estimates <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the various subpopulati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> street children.<br />

Such studies have indicated that the number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> aband<strong>on</strong>ed children living<br />

full time <strong>on</strong> the streets is a few thousand—significantly fewer than the<br />

figures that are touted in alarmist reports (Rosemberg, pers<strong>on</strong>al<br />

communicati<strong>on</strong>, May 1993).<br />

Available epidemiologic research findings point c<strong>on</strong>sistently to a high<br />

rate <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant and other drug use in this populati<strong>on</strong> (Bucher et al. 1991;<br />

Carlini-Cotrim and Carlini 1988b; Forster et al. 1992; Silva-Filho et al.<br />

1990). Shoemaker’s glue is the preferred substance am<strong>on</strong>g these<br />

children, followed by lança-perfume, fingernail polish, and acet<strong>on</strong>e<br />

(Carlini-Cotrim and Carlini 1988b).<br />

Such high rates <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> use, as has been noted, are markedly different<br />

depending <strong>on</strong> the kind <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> family ties maintained by these children, their<br />

relati<strong>on</strong>ship with their schools, and the part played by street experiences<br />

in their lives. Table 6 shows the lifetime prevalence rates found for<br />

solvents, marijuana, and cocaine am<strong>on</strong>g children living full time <strong>on</strong> the<br />

streets in two large Brazilian cities: São Paulo and Porto Alegre. Drug<br />

abuse, particularly inhalant use, is a widespread practice in this<br />

populati<strong>on</strong>.<br />

Not <strong>on</strong>ly is this use widespread, but it is intense as well. A large porti<strong>on</strong><br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the subjects reported frequent use, c<strong>on</strong>suming the drug at least <strong>on</strong>ce a<br />

week (table 7).<br />

The results for Porto Alegre suggest that drug use behavior varies widely<br />

am<strong>on</strong>g the three subpopulati<strong>on</strong>s. Children who still have family ties<br />

report lower drug use rates than their peers who live full time <strong>on</strong> the<br />

streets. Am<strong>on</strong>g children who live with their families, those who attend<br />

school report no drug use, and those who did not attend school abused<br />

72

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