Indian youth and inhalants: an update

There is some basis for the perception that Indian youth are more susceptible to inhalant use than their non-Indian peers. Many Indian youth live in disadvantaged and often stressful environments that set the stage for turning to drugs for relief or to seek excitement. Inhalants are cheap and available even to very young children. While levels of inhalant use are comparatively high, the tendency to overrate this use and to label all Indian youth as inhalant abusers must be avoided. By the time Indian youth reach their senior year, only around 4 percent are using inhalants seriously enough to warrant concern. On the other hand, those 4 percent cannot be ignored and, for them, prevention efforts at earlier ages could avert a great deal of needless suffering. Furthermore, there are a significant number of school dropouts who are likely to be chronically inhalant involved. The age pattern of inhalant use indicates that such use by Indian youth begins when they are very young--the predisposing factors are well in place by the 4th and 5th grades. Prevention efforts may need to start very early if they are to succeed.