Volatile Substance Abuse Virtual Seminars

Volatile Substance Abuse Virtual Seminars, developed by a multinational working group of inhalant abuse researchers funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and supported by NIDA, explore the epidemiology, neurobiology, prevention, and treatment of inhalant abuse. To view the following virtual seminars, please visit the University of Saskatchewan site Research Chair in Substance Abuse.

• Indigenous Youth Residential Solvent Abuse Treatment in Canada
  The first seminar features a recorded presentation by Canadian Youth Solvent Addiction Committee (YSAC) Coordinator Debra Dell.
• Inhalant Use and Inhalant Use Disorders in the United States
  Dr. Matthew Howard, University of North Carolina, 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 oxide inhalation, and suicidality in inhalant users.
• Volatile Solvent Misuse Prevention Initiatives in Central Australia

  The Central Australia Youth Link-Up Service (CAYLUS) supports community initiatives for young people to address substance abuse. The CAYLUS Coordinator, Mr. Tristan Ray, discusses the substantial inroads made into volatile substance misuse problems among a relatively small population in Central Australia.
• Neurobiology of Inhalant Misuse

  Silvia Cruz, Ph.D., a neuroscientist at Cinvestav in Mexico, describes preclinical studies that have identified the effects of inhalants on behavior, 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.