Abuse of inhalants: motivation and consequences.

Abstract

188 inhalant users, 157 heavy polydrug users, and 157 light polydrug users were interviewed concerning their reasons for drug abuse and the consequences they saw. Inhalant users were consistently more negatively affected by drug abuse and more strongly motivated toward drug abuse. The negative effects included factors of personal behavior, interpersonal adjustment, impulsivity, bad and distal consequences, and general drug-related trouble. Motivational factors implicated by inhalers were equally diverse, including internal, interpersonal, positive, and negative factors. These results are consistent with many current theories of drug addiction in general, suggesting that these theories may also be valid for the more specific, although less frequently addressed problem of inhalant abuse.