# Presentation: 000301

## Impact of Inhalant Use in Venezuela 

**Elvia Amesty, MGSc**
**Jose Felix Ribas Foundation**

## Introduction

**In Venezuela, epidemiological data demonstrates:**** **
**A continued increase in legal and illegal drug use during adolescence**
**A decrease in the age of first use**
**Increase in the incidence of substance use among youth**

## Inhalant Use in Venezuela 

**Three aspects must be considered:**
- 	**1. ****Data from drug use in high school     ****	****	****students**
**	****2. Data from drug use in risk groups**
**	****3. Data from drug abusers in treatment**
**	**

## High School Students

**Epidemiological study  completed with secondary students in Zulia State**
**To evaluate drug use prevalence, onset age and risk factors**
**Data were collected from private and public schools**
**Age:12 -17 years**
**Years: 1996-2000-2002-2004**
**Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI)**
**The same methodology was utilized across all years**

- Source: Amesty et al (2005)

## Age of Onset in Students

**11****	****	****12****	****	****13****	****	****14****	****	****15**

**Age**

**Inhalants**

**Alcohol**

**Tobacco**

**Tranquilizers**

**Alcohol Intoxication**

**Stimulants**

**Marijuana**

**Cocaine**

**Source: Amesty et al (2005****) **

## Lifetime Prevalence in High School Students 

| Drug | 1996
N=1015 | 2000
N=1354 | 2002
N=1283 | 2004
N=1205 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Alcohol | 47.2 | 50.1 | 58.7 | 60.7 |
| Tobacco | 11.7 | 10.5 | 10.8 | 11.4 |
| Cocaine | 0.6 | 2.1 | 2.4 |   2.6 |
| Marihuana | 0.7 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 0.9 |
| Inhalants | 0.8 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 3.6 |
| Pills | 3.8 | 8 | 7.3 | 6.9 |

- 	Inhalant use  lifetime prevalence has been increasing since 1996 to 2004

**Source: Amesty et al (2005****) **

## Comparative Study in High School Students

**A research conducted in some central and south American countries by Organization of American States (OAS,2003)**
**Standardized Methodology (similar ages, questionnaire, grade levels and analysis)**
**Countries: Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Venezuela.**
**Students with 13,15 and 17 years**
**Public and private secondary schools**

**Source: ****CICAD/OAS (2003) Comparative Study of Drug Use in American Countries**

## Inhalant Use Prevalence

**Venezuela has the highest last month prevalence and actual use of inhalants as  compared  to the other countries**

## Drug Use in Risk Groups

**Research conducted  Zulia State**
**Data were collected from 1205 students, 100 street youths, 100 youth offenders and 35 addicts **
**Age: 12-17 years**
**Instruments: The Psychological Dysregulation Inventory previously standardized in Venezuelan population**

**Source:Murelle&Amesty****(2003)**

## Onset Age on Drug Use  in Risk Groups

**Onset age of inhalants in street youth (11y) is the lowest as a compared to the other groups and this difference was statistically significant **
**Inhalant lifetime prevalence in street youths and offenders was the same (6%) and 20% in addicts**

*****

## Drug Abusers in Treatment

**In the general treatment population**** cocaine and marihuana are the drugs for which patients request treatment**
**It appears that the inhalant use may not be a critical issue, because only 1% reported actual use of this drug**

**Source:Amesty&Díaz****(2004); CONACUID,2004**

## Drug Abusers in Treatment

- Requests for treatment for vulnerable youths have increased and they have a different drug use pattern
- Information from de 91 drug abusing teenagers treated during 2004 indicated that 12% reported actual inhalant use (Youth Program)

**Source:Amesty et al**

## Conclusion

- Inhalant is the first drug of use by students
- Inhalant use lifetime prevalence have been increasing in students
- Venezuelan students have the highest past month prevalence and actual use of inhalants as compare to other  American countries
- Age of onset of inhalant in street youth was lower than youth offenders and addicts
- Inhalant use in general treatment population and youth treatment  group is different

## Thanks

**Thanks**