Inhalant users in drug abuse prevention programs

Inhalant use and related background characteristics are examined for participants in state-funded drug abuse prevention programs in Texas. Inhalant use was found to be a significant problem among Mexican-American youth in low socioeconomic neighborhoods. Frequent users of inhalers were consistently distinguished from nonusers and less frequent inhalers on a number of dimensions and were found to have significantly more family, school, legal, and peer-related problems. Areas for future research and intervention are discussed.