Drug and Alcohol Survey in Texas

350,000 students in grades 4-12 are taking the Texas School Survey of Drug and Alcohol Use, which asks age-appropriate questions in order to procure the most accurate information about what substances children have used in the past. Their most recent survey from 2004 provides some startling facts about inhalants. For children in grades 4 through 6, inhalants were the second most common drug, with more children using them than cigarettes and marijuana combined. Other interesting facts taken from the survey:

• The average age that elementary students first used inhalants was 9.4 years.
• Increases in inhalant use between 2002-2004 were larger in girls than in boys.
• Students not living with both parents were more likely to report inhalant use than students from two-parent families.
• The most commonly used inhalant was correction fluid, followed by glue, spray paint, and gasoline.
• More than half of lifetime inhalant users admitted having used at least two different kinds of inhalants.

From the survey of students in grades 7-12:

• Younger students were two to three times more likely to use inhalants than older students.
• An average of 17% of high-school students have used inhalants.
• 54% of students thought that it was easy or somewhat easy to get inhalants.
• Correction fluid and liquid or spray paint were the most common inhalants, followed by nitrous oxide, gasoline, and paint thinner.

To reiterate: it is never too early to start talking to your kids about inhalant use.