Overseas studies suggest women and elderly people are the most common users of these types of drugs. Prozac is used by millions of people worldwide. Inhalants - Patterns of Use In New Zealand, the use of inhalants such as glue, petrol and some aerosol propellants tends to affect a relatively small though often highly visible group. Users are typically teenagers, although some users may continue into their 20s or even 30s. Within this group, Maori and Pacific Island males seem to be particularly at risk.
Most solvents are readily available household products.
Since the 1980s there has been periodic debate over the merits of prohibiting the sale of solvents to young people and the use of legal sanctions to prohibit solvent abuse in public places. These have usually been considered to be impractical, and other approaches such as voluntary policies by retailers and community-based interventions have been favoured. General Illegal Drug Use Illegal drug use in New Zealand is at about the same level per capita as in Australia. For some drugs, however, it is lower than in the United States. Because New Zealand has good border controls it tends to have less supply and use of drugs such as cocaine and heroin.