"Understanding Adolescent Inhalant Use" A Key Takeaways

A new SAMHSA study “Understanding Adolescent Inhalant Use” by Rachel N. Lipari, Ph.D. discusses current trends in inhalant abuse. This report explores inhalant abuse trends among adolescents between the ages of 12-17 collected from The National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Of the 1.8 million people who reported abusing inhalants in the past year to get high, 684,000 were adolescents between the ages of 12-17 with use decreasing in age. The entire report can be found here. Key findings include:

·       Felt-tip pens/markers or magic markers were the top reported type of inhalant used to get high 6.7% with glue, shoe polish, or toluene coming in second and spray paints in third.

·       Female adolescents reported higher usage of inhalants compared to male adolescents (3.2% vs. 2.3%)

·       Adolescents of all races/ethnicities, across the United States are vulnerable to inhalant abuse

·       There were no statistically significant differences in the percentage of inhalant abuse depending on geographical location

Although only 684,000 adolescents reported using inhalants to get high, this report highlights the continued need to educate parents, teachers, and teens about the risks of inhalant abuse. To learn more visit: www.inhalant.org

New National Inhalant Data: Inhalant Use on the Decline

 Via United Press International:

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently released its “Recent Declines in Adolescent Inhalant Use” which was based on their 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. 

 
The report revealed that US teens ages 12 to 17 using inhalants decreased from 820,000 in 2011 to about 650,000 in 2012.  Additionally, rates decreased from 4.4 percent in 2006 to 2.6 percent in 2012. 

In December last year, Monitoring the Future also showed a decline in inhalant use. For further info on that study, click here.

Report: 2010 Drug Use Among Young People In England

Via NHS Information Centre's 2011 report, Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2010

New data from the NHS Information Centre finds that among 11-15 year-olds, 28% of adolescents reported ever being offered any drugs. They were most likely to have been offered cannabis (18%) or volatile substances (10%). However, there has been a decrease in the number of adolescents who reported inhaling volatile substances, from 5.5% in 2009 to 3.8% in 2010.

However, for 73% of 11 and 12 year olds who had taken drugs in the last year, it was restricted to inhaling volatile substances. Volatile substance abuse continues to be the most common form of drug misuse among 11-12 year olds, and second only to cannabis across the whole 11-15 age group.

Hong Kong: Adolescent Drug Use On The Rise

From the Hong Kong Information Services Department:

A survey recently made public by the Narcotics Division shows an increase in teenage drug use. During the 2008-2009 school year, students at 100 schools completed the survey which focused on drug abuse. Based on 158,000 surveys or 20% of the student body, researchers noted the following trends:

• Among secondary students aged 12 or below, 4.6% said they had abused drugs. Four years ago only 2.4% claimed the same.
• 30.7% of primary school students had used inhalants.
• 36.2% of secondary school students who used drugs claimed to have used at friend's home while 25% had used in their own home.

In response, the government has allocated $3 billion for the Beat Drugs Fund. The Fund is an arm of the Narcotics Division that oversees efforts to stem drug abuse and raise awareness. The nearly tenfold increase in funding, indicates the governments increased commitment to fight a growing drug culture since the Fund started in 1996. Other tangible measures include community mobilization programs, establishing more counseling centers, and hiring more social workers.

Inhalant Abuse & Runaways

Interesting research study via BMC Public Health:

“Running away experience and psychoactive substance use among adolescents in Taiwan: multi-city street outreach survey”- Published: 20 January 2010

A few of the study's findings follows below:

• The lifetime risk of inhalant use increased steadily from adolescents who had experienced a trial runaway episode (one time lasting ≤ 1 day), to those with extended runaway experience (≥ 2 times or lasting > 1 day), when compared to those who had never ran away.
  
• Adolescents who had their first running away experience > 6 months previously had a greater risk of inhalant use over the past 6-months than those with a similar experience within the last 6 months.
  
• Both alcohol and tobacco use were most frequently initiated before the first running away,
  whereas inhalant use was most frequently initiated after this event
  
• When adolescents who were fleeing an unsatisfactory home life were compared to
  those who ran away for excitement, the former tended to have a higher risk of inhalant use.

Inhalants Get 'Whipped' In California

From KCRA News in Sacramento, CA

This week lawmakers from the San Francisco Bay area continue to fight for the ratification of a new bill banning the sale of Nitrous Oxide to minors throughout California. The law specifically targets the distribution of “whippets”- small containers of Nitrous Oxide, which are commonly abused and widely accessible.

Bay Area Assemblyman Tom Torkalson was first to address the bill in California’s Senate Public Committee hearing on Tuesday; attributing the growing incidence of “whippet” negligence among adolescents to their “low cost and vast availability.”