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Inhalant Abuse: Causes, Consequences and Prevention

NCJ Number
186152
Journal
Prevention Researcher Volume: 7 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2000 Pages: 3-6
Author(s)
Fred Beauvais Ph.D.
Date Published
September 2000
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article examines the causes, consequences, and prevention of adolescent inhalant abuse.
Abstract
When compared with either non-users or with users of other drugs, inhalant abusers tend to have greater difficulty in school. However, it is difficult to determine whether poor school performance is a cause or a result of inhalant abuse. Factors that can influence youth susceptibility to inhalant abuse include peer drug involvement, serious family problems, opportunity, difficulties in school, deviance and delinquency, and psychological characteristics. Effects of inhalant use include intoxication, psychological and social effects, neuropsychological problems, neurological problems, non-neurological effects, and death. Prevention of inhalant use may involve complex longitudinal studies, application of more fiscal and personnel resources, limiting availability of inhalable substances, criminalization of the user, labeling, and careful information dissemination. The article concludes that adequate prevention approaches have yet to be discerned, but approaches used with other drugs may be appropriate if additional factors that accompany inhalant abuse are taken into consideration.

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