Projects

Projects - Social Meanings of Inhalant use in Melbourne: Implications for the Development of Policy and Intervention

With PhD scholarships through the YRC from VicHealth and the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation, Sarah MacLean investigated the social meanings of inhalant use in Victoria. Academic literature addressing inhalant use offers little in the way of detailed exploration of what young people seek through this kind of drug use or what they find pleasurable about it. When we tell young people to stop misusing inhalants, what is it that we are requesting they forego?

This research project was based on interviews with young people who are past or current users of inhalants and with expert workers in this area. In addition, ten workshops were run with interested professionals to explore the findings of the research and its implications for policy. Sarah published her findings in 2006.

Contact: Sarah MacLean

s.maclean@unimelb.edu.au