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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Use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Inhalant</str<strong>on</strong>g>s in Colombia<br />
Luis F. Duque, Edgar Rodríguez, and Jaime Huertas<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
The purpose <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this chapter is to provide informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the prevalence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
inhalant use and abuse in Colombia. The informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the problem <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
inhalant abuse in Colombia presented in this chapter is based up<strong>on</strong> data<br />
collected from the 1992 Colombian <str<strong>on</strong>g>Nati<strong>on</strong>al</str<strong>on</strong>g> Household Survey <strong>on</strong> Drug<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Abuse</str<strong>on</strong>g>. These survey results are derived from data collected from a<br />
randomly selected sample <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 10,112 individuals ages 12 to 59 not living<br />
in instituti<strong>on</strong>s. All urban and rural areas <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the country except for the<br />
nati<strong>on</strong>al territories, which represent 2 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Colombian<br />
populati<strong>on</strong>, were included in this household survey.<br />
BACKGROUND<br />
Little is known about the problem <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> drug use in the general populati<strong>on</strong> in<br />
Colombia. It was not until the sec<strong>on</strong>d <str<strong>on</strong>g>Nati<strong>on</strong>al</str<strong>on</strong>g> Household Survey <strong>on</strong><br />
Drug <str<strong>on</strong>g>Abuse</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>ducted in 1992 that data <strong>on</strong> the problem <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant abuse<br />
were found lacking. A review <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the literature showed that there was<br />
<strong>on</strong>ly <strong>on</strong>e study that collected informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the problem <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant<br />
abuse. A study sp<strong>on</strong>sored by the Minister <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Educati<strong>on</strong> in Colombia<br />
found that the prevalence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant use am<strong>on</strong>g high school students was<br />
2.4 percent, making it the fifth most widely used drug by the interviewed<br />
students (Parra 1992). More recently, preliminary results from a nati<strong>on</strong>al<br />
survey <strong>on</strong> mental health in Colombia suggests that 0.6 pers<strong>on</strong>s per 1,000<br />
between the ages <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 12 and 60 had used inhalants at least <strong>on</strong>ce in their<br />
lives. Although other nati<strong>on</strong>al studies or surveys such as the third<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Nati<strong>on</strong>al</str<strong>on</strong>g> Household Survey <strong>on</strong> Health collected data <strong>on</strong> the prevalence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
alcohol and other drugs, they failed to obtain informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
inhalants (Estupiñán 1990; Torres and Estupiñán 1991; Torres and<br />
Murelle 1987).<br />
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