International
TREATING VOLATILE SOLVENT ABUSE AMONG INDIGENOUS YOUTH
FUNDING:
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada International Opportunities Development Grant
Canadian Institute of Health Research Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant: Aboriginal Peoples’ Health
PARTNERS:
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, Central Australian Youth Link-Up Service, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Centre for Research and Advanced Studies National Polytechnic Institute (Mexico), Colorado State University, National Institute on Drug Abuse International Program, Nimkee NupiGawagan Healing Centre, National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, University of Auckland (New Zealand), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,Youth Solvent Addiction Committee.
AIM:
To bring together global expertise to develop an international research program specific to the treatment of and healing from volatile solvent abuse (VSA) for Indigenous youth, and to share the success of the Canadian experience in providing residential treatment. The aim is to develop new knowledge and capacity to address mental health and substance abuse problems in Indigenous youth, focusing on stigma and discrimination, education, cultural competency and youth empowerment. VSA is the deliberate inhalation of fumes or vapors given off from a substance for its intoxicating and mind-altering effects. Volatile solvents are located in hundreds of household and industrial products, such as gasoline, correctional fluid, paint and felt-tip markers.
OUTCOMES:
1. Publication of the Special Issue Volatile Substance Misuse: A Global Perspective in Substance Use & Misuse: An International Interdisciplinary Forum
For over 40 years, the Substance Use & Misuse journal has provided a unique international multidisciplinary environment for the exchange of facts, theories, viewpoints, and unresolved issues concerning substance use, misuse, “abuse” and dependency, eating disorders, and gambling. The misuse of volatile substances is a global health concern, but there has been a serious absence of documented, multidisciplinary understanding of the misuse of volatile substances across the globe.
The Special Issue of Volatile Substance Misuse: A Global Perspective was published in July, 2011, with Guest Editors Dr. Colleen Anne Dell, Research Chair in Substance Abuse, University of Saskatchewan (Canada), Dr. Steve Gust, International Program Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse (USA), and Dr. Sarah MacLean, Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre (Australia). The journal contains 20 peer-reviewed articles by authors from 12 nations. Data is presented from countries where VSM was previously underdocumented, as well as from countries reporting VSM among school populations; it discusses medical complications of VSM and the potential for central nervous system recovery with abstinence; and describes successful interventions that address VSM based on cultural understandings.
The journal was released at a full international symposia at the 2011 CPDD conference in Hollywood, Florida, titled “ Volatile Substance Misuse: A Global Call for Action”. It was co-Chaired by Dr. Flavio Pechansky, Center for Drug and Alcohol Research at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and Dr. Colleen Anne Dell. Members of the research team from Australia, Mexico and the United States were chosen to present.
2. Leadership on the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Inhalants Working Group
The NIDA Inhalants Working Group is a multinational working group of inhalant abuse researchers with the common goal of enhancing understanding of the use of inhalants around the world. The Working Group defines inhalant or volatile substance abuse as the often habitual inhaling of products or substances containing gases or volatile solvents to induce a psychoactive or mind-altering effect. Inhalants are significantly abused in many countries, particularly by young people. Little is known, however, about patterns of use, prevention, and treatment. Through a Country Scan led by the University of Saskatchewan, the hope is to build on it to identify commonalities and contrasts among countries in terms of substances abused, modes of use, types of users, and relative prevalence of use. Introduced to the group in recent conversations has been the linkage between VSA and HIV/AIDS in Canada and internationally.
3. Development of On-line Learning Sessions on Youth Volatile Solvent Abuse
Session #1 - Indigenous Youth Residential Solvent Abuse Treatment in Canada, is offered by Debra Dell of the Youth Solvent Addiction Committee. This 40-minute presentation covers a brief history of solvent abuse among Indigenous youth in Canada and an innovative residential treatment response. This successful response was initiated over a decade ago through a partnership between Indigenous communities and the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Health Canada.
Session #2 - Inhalant Use and Inhalant Use Disorders in the United States, is offered by Dr. Matthew Howard of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Howard’s 50 minute talk reviews widely abused inhalant products; modes, settings and contexts of inhalant use; characteristics of inhalant intoxication; signs and symptoms of inhalant abuse and dependence; recent research examining the natural history of inhalant dependence; common mental health and substance-related problems of inhalant users; screening protocols for inhalant use; and specific issues having to do with nitrate abuse, nitrous oxcide inhalation, and suicidality in inhalant users. Findings from more than 20 recent studies are summarized. Generalizations are offered that may prove useful for practitioners and researchers working with inhalant users in international, national, regional and local contexts.
Session #3 – Volatile Solvent Misuse Prevention Initiatives in Central Australia, is offered by Tristan Ray, Coordinator of the Central Australian Youth Link Up Service (CAYLUS). The CAYLUS mission is to address substance abuse by young people through supporting community initiatives for young people. Mr. Ray discusses the substantial volatile substance misuse problems among a relatively small population in Central Australia.
Session #4 – Neurobiology of Inhalant Misuse, is presented by Silvia Cruz, Ph.D., a neuroscientist at Cinvestav in Mexico. She describes preclinical studies that have identified the effects of inhalants on behaviour, the central nervous system, and cellular and molecular functions. She also briefly discusses the epidemiology of inhalant abuse in Mexico and the implications of preclinical research findings for treatment and prevention interventions.
Transcripts of the online discussions following the presentations are available on the National Institute on Drug Abuse, International Program website.
4. 2010 National Institute on Drug Abuse International Conference Poster Session Presentation & Meeting
Left to Right: Debra Dell, Youth Solvent Addiction Committee; Silvia Cruz, Centre for Research and Advanced Studies, National Polytechnic Institute; Colleen Anne Dell, University of Saskatchewan; Judy McCormally, National Institute on Drug Abuse; Blair McFarland, Central Australian Youth Link-up Service
5. 2009 National Institute on Drug Abuse International Conference breakout session
Recordings of the breakout session, “Multinational Assessment and Prevention of Inhalant Abuse”, are available for two of our team members:
Dr. Colleen Anne Dell - Volatile Substance Abuse Among Indigenous Youth: Similarities and Differences in Canada, Australia, Mexico, and the United States
Dr. Sarah MacLean – White Knight and Opal: Supply Reduction Approaches to Volatile Substance Misuse in Australia
