Forster L M, Tannhauser M, Barros H M
Division of Pharmacology, Fundacao Faculdade Federal de Ciencias Medicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Drug Alcohol Depend. 1996 Dec 2;43(1-2):57-62. doi: 10.1016/s0376-8716(96)01288-4.
We studied the self-reported activities engaged in by children found wandering on the streets of Porto Alegre, Brazil, aiming to describe their drug abuse habits and practice of thefts or mendicancy. One hundred-and-five youngsters, 6-18 years old, were interviewed in the streets. Although the external appearance of the interviewed children lacked cues as to their life-style differences, three diverse life-style characteristics were depicted among them. Almost 25% of the children lived with their families and went to school (FAMSCH) and 46% lived with their families but didn't go to school (FAM). The other 29% spent all day long and slept in the streets (STREET). The most frequently used drug for the total group of children was tobacco, followed by alcohol, with a much higher prevalence of use of both alcohol and tobacco among children from the STREET subgroup. Alcohol was used by more than 25% of the STREET children and tobacco by 58% of the children from this subgroup, in a regular (almost daily) basis. Less than 12% of the FAMSCH children used illicit drugs. Inhalants were the preferred drugs for illicit drug experimental use. Only 4% of the children attending school sniffed solvents in a regular basis. Regular abuse of inhalants was reported much more frequently by the STREET subgroup of children, reaching a prevalence of 40%. Self-report of marijuana smoking was described to be regular by 4% of the FAMSCH children and 26% by the STREET children. A significantly higher number of the children who lived with their families in comparison to the STREET children described work activities (selling food, washing cars or polishing shoes) while out in the streets. On the other hand the practice of thefts was self-reported mainly by the children from the STREET group and only by the ones who used illicit drugs. Children who lived with their families reported less mendicancy and thefts than STREET children. These results show that very poor children might spend many hours of the day by themselves in the streets of a big city accompanied by children who are never under adult supervision. In spite of being alone for some hours a day and making friends with others who might use drugs, having a family and regularly attending school decreases the risk of delinquent acts and drug use.
我们研究了在巴西阿雷格里港街头流浪的儿童自述的活动情况，旨在描述他们的药物滥用习惯以及盗窃或乞讨行为。我们在街上对105名6至18岁的青少年进行了访谈。尽管受访儿童的外在表现并未显示出他们生活方式的差异，但他们呈现出三种不同的生活方式特征。近25%的儿童与家人同住并上学（FAMSCH），46%的儿童与家人同住但不上学（FAM）。另外29%的儿童整日都在街头度过且睡在街头（STREET）。在所有儿童中，最常使用的药物是烟草，其次是酒精，STREET亚组儿童中酒精和烟草的使用 prevalence 要高得多。超过25%的STREET儿童使用酒精，该亚组中58%的儿童经常（几乎每天）使用烟草。FAMSCH儿童中不到12%使用非法药物。吸入剂是非法药物尝试使用的首选药物。只有4%上学的儿童经常吸食溶剂。STREET亚组儿童中经常滥用吸入剂的情况报告得更为频繁，患病率达到40%。FAMSCH儿童中有4%自述经常吸食大麻，STREET儿童中这一比例为26%。与STREET儿童相比，与家人同住的儿童中，有显著更多的人描述自己在街上从事工作活动（卖食物、洗车或擦鞋）。另一方面，盗窃行为主要是由STREET组的儿童自述的，且只有使用非法药物的儿童会这样做。与家人同住的儿童报告的乞讨和盗窃行为比STREET儿童少。这些结果表明，非常贫困的儿童可能每天有很多时间独自在大城市的街头，身边是从未受到成人监管的儿童。尽管每天有几个小时独处，且与可能吸毒的人交朋友，但有家庭并定期上学可降低犯罪行为和药物使用的风险。
