Inhalant Abuse on the Increase in Fairfax County, Virginia

Via FairfaxTimes.com

The results of the 2009 Fairfax County Youth Survey (grades 6,8,10,12) were released this past Tuesday and they show an increase in inhalant abuse from 2008 to 2009.

A county staff member expressed concern that “Although Fairfax County students generally use alcohol and drugs at lower rates than their peers in other parts of the country, the rate of inhalant use now is above the national average.”

• 5% of 8th graders report using an inhalant to get high within the past 30 days (national average= 4%)
• 3% of the county’s high school sophomores report using inhalants (national everage =2%)
• 2% of the county’s seniors report using an inhalant (national average=1%)