Drug Resistance Education Needed for Teens

Via: The Legal Examiner

New York, New York: A Survey conducted by the National Institutes of Drug Abuse, NIH, found that there has been a decline in the perceived risk of using certain substances. There was a decrease in the amount of 10th graders that found the regular use of inhalants to be harmful.

Bermuda Releases Student Drug Survey

Via The Royal Gazette in Bermuda:

This week, Bermuda released the results of the 2011 National School Survey, which contains data on substance abuse in students (the survey can be viewed here).

The survey found that the average age of a student’s first use of inhalants was 9.3 years. The survey noted that inhalant use does decrease as students get older, but Judith Burgess does not find this comforting. Ms. Burgess is the executive director of PRIDE Bermuda (Parent Resource Institute for Drug Education). She says that the decrease in inhalant abuse could indicate that students are moving on to other drugs as they get older.

The survey also found that students cited “sensation seeking” as the main reason for trying drugs. Ms. Burgess notes, “I would say that especially with that risk factor of sensation seeking being higher than I for one estimated, they are likely seeking sensation at that young age. If they start at that age I don’t think they are just going to stop.”

Ms. Burgess has said that her organization will look at developing drug education for younger students.

2010 Fairfax County Youth Survey

The 2010 Fairfax County Youth Survey questioned students about their use of 13 different substances in the past month, including inhalants.

According to the survey:

• 6.9% of 8th graders had used inhalants in the previous thirty days
• Inhalants were the 2nd most abused substance for eighth graders (after alcohol)
• 3% of 10th graders and 1.8% of 12th graders used inhalants in the previous thirty days.

According to Captain Bruce Ferguson of the Fairfax County Police Department, “The survey has shown inhalant use starting at a younger age, which means we have to make sure to check for it at a younger age.”

For eighth graders in Fairfax County, 6.9% represents the highest rate of use that the survey has ever measured.

Interesting New National Inhalant Data from Monitoring the Future

Yesterday the results of the 2009 Monitoring the Future national report were released.

Figure 9 of the report details "Inhalants: Trends in Annual Use, Risk, and Disapproval in Grades 8, 10, and 12"

Tables 1-3 get into more specific details on comparative 2009 and 2010 inhalant use for 8th, 10th, and 12th graders:

• Lifetime use of inhalant for all three grades has decreased from 2009 (8th grade= -.5%; 10th grade= -.3%; 12th grade= -.4%) -table 1
• Annual use of inhalants has decreased for 8th & 10th but INCREASED for 12th (8th= -.1%, 10th = -.4%; 12th= +.2%)
• 30 day use of inhalants has decreased for 8th & 10th but INCREASED for 12th (8th = -.2%; 10th= -.2%; 12th=+.2%)

Table 6 shows that risk perception for 10th graders has increased from 2009-2010

Table 8 shows no change in 8th graders disapproval of using inhalants "once or twice" but an increase in their disapproval of inhalants regularly.

Table 9 shows a decrease in 10th graders disapproval of using inhalants both "regularly" and "once or twice" a week.

Inhalant Use Data from Tolland Connecticut Schools

Via TollandPatch.com in Connecticut:

East of the River Action for Substance Abuse Elimination (ERASE, Inc.) recently released the findings of its Tolland 2010 Student Substance Use and Related Behavior Survey Report.

The survey covers grades 6-12 and includes a few interesting points about inhalant abuse:

Inhalant Abuse Declines at PA High School

From Lancaster Online.com in Pennsylvania:

Some encouraging news from Manheim Township High School’s results in the 2009 Pennsylvania Youth Survey

Inhalant use declined from 3.7% in '07 to 2.4% last year (this just under the county average of 2.7%).

New Inhalant Data for California

We also noticed that new state level 2006-2008 aggregated data has been posted for the California Healthy Kids Survey.

For elementary (5th grade), table 3.1 shows that 3% of females, 5% of males, and 4% overall have used an inhalant to get high.

For the upper levels:(NT is defined as continuation, community day, & other alternative school types)

lifetime inhalant use: (Table A4.1)

0 times:
7th grade --88%
9th grade –85%
11th grade –87%
NT – 73%

1 time
7th grade --5%
9th grade –5%
11th grade –4%
NT – 7%

2 to 3 times
7th grade --3%
9th grade –3%
11th grade –3%
NT – 5%

4 or more times
7th grade --3%
9th grade –4%
11th grade –4%
NT – 10%


Past 30 Day Use (Table A4.3)
7th grade --6%
9th grade –6%
11th grade –4%
NT – 11%

Lifetime & Current (Table A4.25)
Lifetime:
7th grade:
Male --12%
Female--14%

9th grade :
Male --13%
Female--16%

11th grade:
Male --14%
Female--14%

NT :
Male --27%
Female--28%

30 Days:
7th grade:
Male --5%
Female--7%

9th grade :
Male --5%
Female--6%

11th grade:
Male --5%
Female--3%

NT :
Male --12%
Female--9%


Inhalant Use Past 6 Months: (Table C3)
0 times:
7th grade --84%
9th grade –85%
11th grade 87%
NT – 77%

1-2 times
7th grade --5%
9th grade –5%
11th grade –5%
NT – 7%

A Few Times
7th grade --3%
9th grade –3%
11th grade –3%
NT – 6%

Once a Month:
7th grade --5%
9th grade –4%
11th grade –2%
NT – 4%

Once a Week:
7th grade --0%
9th grade –1%
11th grade –1%
NT – 2%

A Few Times a Week:
7th grade --1%
9th grade –1%
11th grade –1%
NT – 2%

Once or More A Day
7th grade --1%
9th grade –1%
11th grade –2%
NT – 3%

Data specifically by county can be found here:

Inhalant Abuse: 5th Graders in California

Via NBC Los Angeles:

Nearly 1,000 students from Hemet School District took part in the California Healthy Kids Survey. The survey results which were recently released show that 6% of the 5th graders admitted they had tried an inhalant such as glue.

Town Shows Success In Fighting Substance Abuse

From the Somerville News (March 19):

After years of hard work, local officials in Massachusetts are seeing the silver lining. Through a program established in 2002, authorities created a series of initiatives to monitor attitudes and compliance with laws pertaining to teenage substance abuse. The program shows promising results as there are significant decreases alcohol, marijuana, and inhalant use.

One measurement of success, the risky behavior survey, focuses on the frequency of consumption among youth. According to the survey, inhalant use has decreased nearly 50% since the 2003.

Increase in Inhalant Use in Ohio?

From the News Herald in Ohio:

The article outlines a few key findings from the Ohio Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Interestingly, "the only other non-alcohol drugs to have any increase besides prescription drugs were crack cocaine (3.4 percent to 3.7 percent) and inhalants (3.3 percent to 5.7 percent.)"

MTF's NATIONAL SURVEY RESULTS ON DRUG USE, 1975–2008

Some interesting findings:

Page 17:

• Among 12th graders there was a long-term gradual increase in the use of inhalants
  (unadjusted for nitrite inhalants) from 1976 to 1987, followed by a leveling for a few
  years and then a further increase in the 1990s.
  
• In the early 1990s, there was a troublesome increase in inhalant use among secondary school students generally, followed by a reversal after 1995.
  
• After reaching a low point in 2002 or 2003 in grades 8, 10, and 12, use of inhalants increased some in all grades, but then declined in all grades more recently, at least through 2007.
  
• Perceived risk among 8th and 10th graders was declining fairly steadily after 2001, quite possibly as a result of generational forgetting of the dangers of these drugs; this decline halted among the 8th graders , but then resumed in 2008. A new anti-inhalant campaign might well be effective in offsetting this decline in perceived risk in recent years, much as a similar campaign did in the mid-1990s.
  
• One class of inhalants, amyl and butyl nitrites, became somewhat popular in the late
  1970s, but their use has been almost eliminated.
  

Page 23:

• In 8th grade, inhalants rank second only to marijuana among the illicitly used drugs in
  terms of annual prevalence, and they actually rank first in lifetime use.
  
• In 2008 the proportion of 8th graders reporting any illicit drug use in their lifetime, exclusive of inhalants, was 20%, whereas including inhalants raised the figure to 28%.

Page 26:

• The 8th- and 10th-grade samples --The use of inhalants is slightly higher
  among females.
  

Page 69

• One 8th grader in six (16%) reported using inhalants
• 1 in 24 (4.1%) reported inhalant use in just the past month.
• This is the only class of drugs for which use is
  substantially higher in 8th grade than in 10th or 12th grade.
  
• The very large number of 8th graders who have already begun using the so-called
  “gateway drugs” (tobacco, alcohol, inhalants, and marijuana) suggests that a substantial
  number are also at risk of proceeding further to such drugs as LSD, cocaine,
  amphetamines, and heroin.

New Inhalant Data: 2009 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey

The results of the 2009 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey were recently released.

Below you'll find inhalant-specific data from their findings. Click on each image below for a larger copy.

Fewer Hernando County Students Using Inhalants

From TampaBay.com in Florida

In the article regarding the elimination of the DARE Program in Hernando County, an interesting data point:

According to the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey, since 2002 there has been a 1.2% decrease in inhalant use amongst Hernando County students.

Inhalant Abuse as First Drug of Choice?

From TransWorldNews in Monroe, GA:

The article references the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

"The majority of youths reported that marijuana was the first drug they tried (56%), followed by prescription-type drugs used nonmedically (24%), and inhalants (17%).

20 Percent Have Tried Inhalants

From White Mountain Independent in Arizona:

The article references a local survey of students in 7th through 12th grade. The results revealed that “20% of the respondents had tried inhalants (gasoline, glue, aerosol propellants).”

Inhalant Use in Morgan County, Indiana

From the Reporter-Times in Martinsville, Indiana:

Indiana Prevention Resource Center at Indiana University just released the results of its 2008 survey of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. “The anonymous, statewide survey sample included 4,206 Morgan County students in grades six through 12 in the county’s four school systems.”

The survey found that “Use of inhalants by sixth graders is higher than the statewide average, but lower among high school seniors and approximately the same as the national average.”

A Survey of Inhalant Use Disorders among Delinquent Youth

Via 7th Space Interactive:

The synopsis notes: “Many youth in the juvenile justice system have used inhalants, but little is known about inhalant use disorders (IUDs) in antisocial youth populations. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence, clinical features, and latent structure of DSM-IV IUDs in a state population of antisocial youth."

Methods: Cross-sectional survey conducted in 2003. Of 740 youth residing in Missouri State Division of Youth Services' (MDYS) residential treatment facilities at the time the study was conducted, 723 (97.7%) completed interviews.

Eighty-seven percent were male, with a mean age of 15.5 (SD = 1.2). Nearly 4 in 10 youth (38.5 %; n = 279) reported lifetime inhalant use.

Youth ranged from very mildly to severely antisocial.Results: Of 279 inhalant users, 52 (18.6 %) met DSM-IV inhalant abuse criteria and 79 (28.3 %) met inhalant dependence criteria. Five of 10 IUD criteria were met by >10 % of the total sample.Latent class analyses demonstrated a substantial concordance between DSM-IV-defined IUDs and an empirically-derived classification based on responses to DSM-IV IUD diagnostic criteria.

Conclusions: IUDs and constituent criteria were prevalent among youth in the juvenile justice system.Two groups of problem inhalant users were identified, symptomatic users-DSM-IV inhalant abuse and highly symptomatic users-DSM-IV inhalant dependence, which differed primarily in severity of inhalant-related problems. Inhalant screening, prevention and treatment efforts in juvenile justice settings are rarely delivered, but critically needed

Inhalant Abuse Increases in Lee County

From the Cape Coral Daily Breeze:

The 2008 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey results were also released.

For Lee County, “overall drug and alcohol abuse among teenagers has declined, yet inhalants and over-the-counter drugs are being misused more commonly.”

The report shows “use of inhalants this year INCREASED from 12.8% to 14.6%.

Survey in Erie Shows Inhalant Use Up

The Civic Institute and Erie County Health Department in Pennsylvania just released the results of a county-wide survey of middle and high schoolers yesterday.

The creators of the study were concerned about accurate results, so Amy Eisert, the director of the Civic Institute, came up with a solution: "We included trick questions in the survey. One of them was that we listed a make-believe drug and asked students if they ever used it. If they said yes, we tossed out their survey."

Some highlights:

• The number of students who gambled in the last year was down, from 35% two years ago to 29%.
• Students who smoked in the last thirty days declined from 12.4% to 11.5%.
• Binge drinking and marijuana usage also decreased.

However, inhalant usage increased 1%.

The superintendent of Erie Schools, Jim Barker, was not surprised.

He says that the survey "mirrors what's happening in the state and across the nation," and that the report presented "clear reasons why schools, community agencies and parents have to work together" to prevent students from using drugs or alcohol.

Charlotte Berringer, the director of community health for the county Health Department, believes that "reports like this are invaluable because agencies who apply for funding need to show good, hard data. This report will help us put in evidence-based programming to deal with some of these issues."

Hopefully inhalant abuse will be addressed and more education provided in Erie County schools.

From GoErie.com.

KYDS Survey of Inhalant Use

A recent news story used the statistics found in the 2006 Prevention Needs Assessment Survey from the KYDS Coalition, sponsored by the Broome County Mental Health Department in Binghamton, New York.

The entire survey can be read in the link above, but it is rather long; here are some relevant data points:

Percentages of Students using Inhalants (lifetime):

7th grade

2002: 8.7%
2004: 8.1%
2006: 10.8%
Monitoring the Future survey: n/a

8th grade

2002: 11.0%
2004: 8.9%
2006: 15.2%
Monitoring the Future survey: 17.1%

9th grade

2002: 10.3%
2004: 10.7%
2006: 13.5%
Monitoring the Future survey: n/a

10th grade

2002: 7.6%
2004: 10.2%
2006: 14.6%
Monitoring the Future survey: 13.1%

11th grade

2002: 7.9%
2004: 11.6%
2006: 13.0%
Monitoring the Future survey: n/a

12th grade

2002: 8.4%
2004: 7.6%
2006: 10.5%
Monitoring the Future survey: 11.4%

Total

2002: 9.0%
2004: 9.6%
2006: 13.0%
Monitoring the Future survey: n/a

What are the highlights of this data? Well, there is an increase in every single grade for inhalant usage from 2004 data to 2006. Total inhalant usage jumped from 9.0% to 13.0% in four years.

A lot of people wonder why lifetime inhalant use reporting is higher in eighth grade than it is in other years. If someone reported using inhalants when they were 13, shouldn't they have reported a lifetime inhalant use when they are 18?

I can think of two reasons for why this may happen. First, as students get older, they might minimize the importance of inhalant usage during middle school and not report it as often, or simply forget about it after a few years.

Secondly, many of these surveys are done during school hours. If you have students abusing inhalants in eighth grade, these same students might not have stayed in school all the way until senior year. They may have moved on to other drugs and abandoned their schoolwork. Studies would have to take into account the dropout rate as well.

It will be interesting to see the results of a 2008 study.