ANALYSIS OF SEIZURE STATISTICS FOR INHALANT SUBSTANCES IN PARAÍBA, 2020–2024: A TEMPORAL ANALYSIS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE SUBSEQUENT PERIOD

Abstract

Records of inhalant seizures provide useful indicators for monitoring at the intersection of public health and public safety. This study aimed to analyze temporal changes in seizure counts and seized volume in the state of Paraíba, Brazil, between 2020 and 2024, considering the pandemic period and the period following the most acute phase of COVID-19. This applied, descriptive, retrospective study used aggregated monthly data provided by the Instituto de Polícia Científica da Paraíba (IPC-PB), covering 60 months. Microsoft Excel was used for descriptive analyses, comparison of annual means, calculation of monthly volume-to-seizure-count ratios, and identification of outliers using the interquartile range criterion. Temporal concentration was assessed using Lorenz curves and Gini indices. A total of 365 seizures and 1,909,936.00 mL were recorded. The highest annual seizure count occurred in 2022, whereas the largest annual seized volume occurred in 2024. Six months had ratios classified as upper outliers. Gini indices were 0.536 for seizure counts and 0.912 for seized volume, indicating greater temporal concentration of the latter. May 2024 accounted for 78.24% of the total volume recorded in the series. Seizure frequency and volume are complementary indicators whose joint analysis improves the understanding of records and can support their monitoring. The aggregated data do not allow inferences about consumption, police effectiveness, or a causal effect of the pandemic on the observed changes.