Publication: Glue Sniffing and Other Risky Practices Among Street Children in Urban Bangladesh
Date
2011-11-27
ISSN
Published
2011-11-27
Author(s)
Abstract
The inhalation of solvents among
children and adolescents for recreational purposes has been
a long standing problem in the developed world, although it
is an emerging issue in South Asia, especially in urban
areas. This study explores the linkage between glue sniffing
and other drug use and high risk practices related to
increased vulnerability and risk for HIV and AIDS in
Bangladesh and also documents the serious health effects of
glue sniffing. Although Bangladesh has an overall low
prevalence of HIV, it is facing a concentrated HIV epidemic
among injecting drug users. There is a risk that young
children who inhale glue may also be more likely to use
other drugs, and that this early introduction to drugs lead
to injecting drug habits, associated with increased risk for
transmission of HIV, hepatitis C and other sexually
transmitted diseases. This study aimed at assessing the
nature of drug use and other risky practices among street
children aged 11 to 19 years in Dhaka and Chittagong, the
two major metropolises of Bangladesh. The study highlights
the vulnerability of street children in general and the
problems they face on the streets, primarily due to their
lack of social protection. Inhalation of glue and use of
other substances like cannabis and pharmaceuticals, smoking
and chewing tobacco, were found to be prevalent among these
children. They were also found to be sexually active early
and most of them were engaged in unprotected sex, most girls
selling sex, and most boys reporting low condom use.
Although this study was not designed to determine a direct
causal link between early solvent abuse, injecting drug use
and HIV, the study shows an association between glue
sniffing, injecting drug use and other risky sexual
practices, which amplifies the risk for HIV among these
children, making the case for intervening early.
Citation
“Mahmud, Iffat; Ahsan, Karar Zunaid; Claeson, Mariam. 2011. Glue Sniffing and Other Risky Practices Among Street Children in Urban Bangladesh. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/7c0743ba-578a-54a4-a0e6-b3d201db76eb License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”