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New Trend in Solvent Abuse Deaths?

NCJ Number
127653
Journal
Medicine, Science, and the Law Volume: 30 Issue: 3 Dated: (July 1990) Pages: 207-213
Author(s)
P McBride; A Busuttil
Date Published
1990
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Thirteen autopsy reports in Scotland over a period of five years that involved abuse of volative solvents (glue-sniffing) were examined to determine if a trend was emerging in which these deaths were occurring in an older age group than had been previously thought.
Abstract
In this study, a death associated with volatile solvent abuse was defined as one in which reference was made to such abuse as either the immediate cause of death or as a subsidiary or contributory cause of death. In the cases studied, the range of ages was between 13 and 52 years; the mean and median ages at death were 21 years and nearly 17 years respectively. Almost 77 percent occurred in males. Eleven of the 13 cases are summarized. The results indicate that the number of deaths from volatile solvent abuse may be higher than believed in the over-15 age group; the statistics may be diluted partly because of the attention paid to other causes of death in this population. Most public health and social care measures have been targeted toward younger age groups. If a trend is confirmed in Scotland in which older adolescents are increasingly engaging in this type of abuse, it will have implications for the future control of the problem in that country. 4 tables, 2 figures, and 20 references

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