Trends in inhalant use among high school students in Illinois: 1993-1995

Data were analyzed from two years (1993 and 1995) of a statewide survey of high school students on drug use. Changes in the rates of inhalant use, and associations between inhalant use and sociodemographic variables, were exa mined across the two survey years. Measures of inhalant use included lifeti me use, past year use, and past month use. Analyses showed no significant d ifference in the rates of inhalant use across years. Associations with sex, ethnicity, and age were partly consistent with previous research findings. Both lifetime and recent inhalant use were more prevalent among males than females. Blacks were less likely to use inhalants (lifetime and recent) th an other racial/ethnic groups in both survey years. Native Americans showed elevated rates of recent inhalant use in 1993. but not in 1995. While age trends in the 1993 survey were consistent with expectations, age trends in the 1995 survey were not. Recent inhalant use was constant across age group s in the 1995 sample. Also contrary to expectations, inhalant use was not m ore prevalent in low-income or high-poverty areas. The associations of inha lant use with family intactness and academic performance varied by race/eth nicity. Family intactness was a significant protective factor only for whit es and Hispanics. Poor grades were nor a significant predictor of lifetime inhalant use for blacks, and the protective effect of high grades was found only for whites. Poor grades were highly predictive of lifetime inhalant u se for Asians.