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Review
. 2011 Jul;6(1):18-31.

Inhalant use and inhalant use disorders in the United States

Matthew O Howard  1 , Scott E Bowen, Eric L Garland, Brian E Perron, Michael G Vaughn
Affiliations
Review

Inhalant use and inhalant use disorders in the United States

Matthew O Howard et al. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2011 Jul.

Abstract

More than 22 million Americans age 12 and older have used inhalants, and every year more than 750,000 use inhalants for the first time. Despite the substantial prevalence and serious toxicities of inhalant use, it has been termed "the forgotten epidemic." Inhalant abuse remains the least-studied form of substance abuse, although research on its epidemiology, neurobiology, treatment, and prevention has accelerated in recent years. This review examines current findings in these areas, identifies gaps in the research and clinical literatures pertaining to inhalant use, and discusses future directions for inhalant-related research and practice efforts.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Brain Atrophy in a Toulene Abuser Compared with the brain of an individual with no history of inhalant abuse (A), that of a chronic toluene abuser (B) is smaller and fills less of the space inside the skull (the white outer circle in each image). Courtesy of Neil Rosenberg, M.D., NIDA Research Report (NIH 05-3818).
FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Brain Atrophy in a Toulene Abuser Compared with the brain of an individual with no history of inhalant abuse (A), that of a chronic toluene abuser (B) is smaller and fills less of the space inside the skull (the white outer circle in each image). Courtesy of Neil Rosenberg, M.D., NIDA Research Report (NIH 05-3818).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Organs Damaged by Inhalant Exposure
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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