Petrol sniffing
Petrol sniffing is a major problem in Aboriginal communities across four Australian states. It destroys health and families.
The introduction of a "non-sniffable" petrol variety has greatly reduced, but not ended sniffing. Addicts are now changing to glue, seen by many as even more dangerous.
Statistics on petrol sniffing
Petrol sniffing: major regions of prevalence. source: [10]
Petrol sniffing is a serious problem that has claimed over 100 Indigenous lives from 1981 to 2003 across Australia [8]. It is very common in Aboriginal communities across the Northern Territory and Western Australia and not restricted to Aboriginal youth. The practice was first observed in 1951, and is believed to have been introduced by US servicemen stationed in the nation's Top End during World War II.
Of the Indigenous population in 1994, 4% had tried petrol-sniffing but only 0.3% practised it at that time.
In 2005 there were some 700 petrol sniffers across central Australia [9], with the addiction linked to as many as 60 Aboriginal deaths in the NT between 2000 and 2006, and 121 deaths between 1980 and 1987.
The general age range of users is from 10-19 years with a mean of 12-15 years, but use by children younger than 10 is not uncommon.
Petrol sniffing leads to the death of an Aboriginal boy in the movie "Yolngu Boy".
Effects of petrol sniffing
Scene from the movie 'Yolngu Boy' where a youth sniffs petrol sitting on a bridge. Aboriginal
people rarely sniff petrol out in the open as here. Most hide the flask in their clothes just underneath their nose.
Petrol sniffing produces a variety of short-term effects from pleasurable feelings of excitement, to alcohol-like intoxication, to loss of consciousness. The effects are experienced within a few minutes and only last for a short time (which is the main reason for its use), usually less than an hour.
Short-term effects include euphoria and excitement, feeling light, sensations of numbness, dizziness. These effects may be followed by giddiness, nausea, slurred speech, sneezing, coughing, shortness of breath, indigestion, chest pain, hallucinations, muscle weakness, loss of motor coordination and slowed reflexes.
Long-term use can damage internal organs, the brain and the nervous system. Some damage can be reversed by ceasing use of certain substances, but permanent damage can occur to the brain, liver and kidneys. The person becomes degraded, disabled or dies.
On a larger scale petrol-sniffing devastates not only the sniffer's health but also their families and the wider community by increased domestic violence and family breakdown [1].
Petrol sniffing case study: Two boys die after break-in for petrol sniffing
The following story was published in the Sydney Morning Herald [11]:
"Two teenage boys are dead and another is in a critical condition after they were poisoned by petrol fumes inside a fuel container in a remote Aboriginal community.
Four boys from the tiny town of Oenpelli, north of Kakadu National Park, broke into the meat works about 7pm on Saturday night. The boys had reportedly planned to sniff petrol from two quad bikes and a large drum.
Twelve hours after the group gained access through an old air-conditioning unit, a fifth teenager, worried because his friends had failed to respond to his calls, raised the alarm, police said. Using a bolt-cutter, one man opened the metal shipping container to find the four boys unconscious on the floor.
Two, aged 15 and 18, died shortly after they were freed. A 16-year-old is in a critical condition in Royal Darwin Hospital and a 15-year-old was stabilised yesterday."
Ngukurr, a community at the edge of Arnhem Land, asked for eight months for help on chronic petrol sniffing among teenagers. One social worker with expertise in the problem arrived for one day. —Lindsay Murdoch in The Age [3]
Introduction of 'non-sniffable' fuel, Opal
These Opal fuel stickers are available from unleaded Opal fuel outlets.
In an effort to reduce the epidemic of petrol sniffing in Indigenous communities, BP introduced a new petrol brand, called Opal in early 2005. It contains almost no lead and has only very low levels of the aromatic hydrocarbons ('aromatics'), which give the "high" sought by petrol sniffers.
This is the first time a product has been specifically designed to assist remote communities and in particular Aboriginal communities to fight petrol sniffing.
Prior to the introduction of Opal, Comgas (Avgas rebranded, from Aviation Gas) has been used in the 1990s in many communities to discourage misuse of fuel as an inhalant; however, unlike Opal, Avgas contains lead and was not accepted by communities due to doubts about its suitability.
All petrol stations in Alice Springs now sell the new fuel [4]. Opal fuel is subsidised by the federal government to sell at the same price, costing about AUD 4 million a year.
62 Indigenous communities across the states of NT, WA, SA and QLD use Opal fuel with 24 roadhouses and service stations supplying it.
Comparison sniffable vs. non-sniffable fuel
| Property | Opal | Avgas | Unleaded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colour: | yellow | blue or green | purple/bronze |
| Aromatics: | 5% | 20% | < 48%, typ. 25% |
| Benzene: | 1% | < 3..5% | < 5% |
| Lead: | < 0.005 g/L | < 0.56 g/L | < 0.005 g/L |
| Sulphur: | 150 ppm | 500 ppm | < 500 ppm |
| Sniffable: | no | yes | yes |
Unleaded Opal performs as regular unleaded fuel and can be mixed with other fuel in a petrol tank without affecting the engine.
Success of Opal fuel
Throughout Australia the introduction of non-sniffable Opal fuel helps Indigenous communities to reduce petrol sniffing and improve health significantly.
Petrol sniffing on the lands of the Anangu, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Aboriginal people (all in South Australia) "has more than halved in just 12 months" [1] with 60% less people sniffing petrol. Compared to 2004 figures the 2006 data shows a huge 80% drop in incidence.
With petrol sniffing down, communities could also reduce money spent on policing and health initiatives which amounts to more than AUD 100 million [7].
We estimate that 13 lives have been saved by the introduction of Opal and through community actions. —Blair McFarland, Central Australian Youth Link Up Service [7]
This could be achieved by a 'no tolerance' attitude of the Aboriginal people in the communities, similar to the 'no grog' attitude many communities have to reduce their alcohol consumption. All communities in Central Australia have now voluntarily switched to the new fuel.
The South Australian government has undertaken the following initiatives to reduce petrol sniffing [1]:
- harsher penalties for trafficking in petrol,
- a mobile outreach service which offers assessment, counselling and education,
- extra police,
- new swimming pools at two communities.
Swimming pools seem to be an interesting approach to provide positive community infrastructure.
Failure of Opal fuel
The introduction of non-sniffable Opal fuel is not all gold. Police reported that sniffable petrol is smuggled into communities where it sells for up to AUD 100 a litre [2].
In April 2007 a boy died after sniffing a bottle of Opal fuel [5]. A coronial investigation into the death found that Opal fuel "should not be marketed as a harmless substance". The description as "unsniffable" was "clearly wrong" [6].
Young Aboriginal people who cannot sniff petrol anymore have been known to switch to other drugs like cannabis, ecstasy and amphetamines [2]. But there's another replacement for sniffable petrol, readily available in every supermarket: glue.
Very much like petrol, glue gives a feeling of euphoria and exhilaration when inhaled. It leads to dizziness, loss of co-ordination, slurred speech and mental deterioration [4]. It is considered, in some ways, more dangerous than petrol. Concern was growing in 2008 in Alice Springs where children were increasingly starting to sniff glue.
Help for petrol sniffers
If you want to know more about inhalant abuse, including petrol sniffing, you can check out the following web site:
www.inhalantsinfo.org.au
is a website which informs about inhalants used in Australia, treatment guidelines, where to go for help, user stories, new resources and projects. It also includes an inhalants database.
Out of respect for Aboriginal culture I use Indigenous sources as much as possible.
Koori Mail 385, p.85, www.health.gov.au, www.bp.com, www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au, en.wikipedia.org
[1] Koori Mail 394 p.5
[2] National Indigenous Times 135 p.29
[3] Inside Australia's third world, The Age, September 15, 2005
[4] 'New fears over glue sniffing by children', Koori Mail 417 p.5
[5] 'Opal can harm: Coroner', National Indigenous Times, p.3
[6] 'Opal fuel NT death', Koori Mail 426, p.14
[7] 'A dozen lives saved by Opal', NIT 12/6/2008 p.8
[8] 'An Evaluation of the Comgas Scheme', http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-oatsih-pubs-comgas/$FILE/3230%2BComgas%2BReport.pdf
[9] 'The cipher of the sniffer', http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=1491
[10] 'Heavy Metal: The Social Meaning of Petrol Sniffing in Australia', Maggie Brady, Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press, 1992
[11] 'Two boys die after break-in for petrol sniffing', SMH 4/12/2006