NCJ Number
233622
Date Published
March 2010
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration presents information on adolescent inhalant use and the prevalence of selected respiratory conditions in adolescents.
Abstract
This 2010 report from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) contains findings for combined data from 2006 to 2008 that include: in the past year, 1.0 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 had used an inhalant; in the past year, 9.8 percent of adolescents had asthma, 3.2 percent had bronchitis, 0.9 percent had pneumonia, and 0.8 percent had sinusitis; in the past year, 0.6 percent of adolescents both used inhalants and had 1 of the 4 respiratory conditions; and in the past year, nearly 1 in 20 of adolescents with 1 of the 4 respiratory conditions used inhalants. This report from the NSDUH presents information on adolescent inhalant use and the prevalence of selected respiratory conditions in adolescents. Data for the report, covering the years 2006 to 2008, were obtained from interviews conducted with adolescents aged 12 to 17. Other findings include: inhalant use was higher among females than males, and among those aged 14 or 15; Asians and Blacks were less likely to use inhalants than other ethnic groups; and three types of inhalants were the most commonly used by adolescents with at least one of the four respiratory conditions - 1) glue, shoe polish, or toluene, 2) gasoline or lighter fluid, and 3) spray paints. The report notes that continued efforts are needed to educate parents, teachers, physicians, service providers, and policymakers about the dangers and health risks of inhalant use. Figures and endnotes