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

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TABLE 7. Weekly use (at least <strong>on</strong>ce a week) <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> solvents am<strong>on</strong>g street<br />

children living <strong>on</strong> the streets in São Paulo and Porto Alegre.<br />

Percentage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> users<br />

São Paulo (1988) Porto Alegre (1992)<br />

(Ages 6-17) (Ages 7-17)<br />

(n = 120) (n = 34)<br />

Weekly use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

solvents 47.8 50.0<br />

SOURCES: São Paulo data: Carlini-Cotrim and Carlini (1988b);<br />

Porto Alegre data: Forster and colleagues (1992).<br />

FINAL COMMENTS<br />

The informati<strong>on</strong> that has been presented, though it is based <strong>on</strong> incomplete<br />

and sometimes dated informati<strong>on</strong>, points unequivocally to the fact that<br />

inhalant abuse must become a priority for Brazilian drug preventi<strong>on</strong> and<br />

educati<strong>on</strong>al policymakers—especially dealing with the younger segments<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the populati<strong>on</strong>. Special policies regarding alcohol and tobacco, which<br />

also c<strong>on</strong>stitute major public health problems in most Western countries,<br />

also should be c<strong>on</strong>sidered.<br />

More research is needed to support preventive and legislative acti<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong><br />

the matter. At least four major lines <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> investigati<strong>on</strong> should be<br />

c<strong>on</strong>sidered in the near future: (1) epidemiologic characterizati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

inhalant use am<strong>on</strong>g other populati<strong>on</strong> groups, such as working-class<br />

adults, children and adolescents living in rural areas, and housewives;<br />

(2) characterizati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the student populati<strong>on</strong> regarding beliefs and<br />

knowledge associated with inhalant use; (3) study <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the roles played by<br />

family and school am<strong>on</strong>g lower income children as protectors from drug<br />

abuse situati<strong>on</strong>s and the children’s eventual relati<strong>on</strong>ship with other<br />

instituti<strong>on</strong>s (e.g., religious, community-related, or others that possibly<br />

74

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