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Responses to address inhalants abuse in Australia are happening at  the national, state and local level.  These include new legislation or changes to existing legislation, the development of national and state based programs, and local community targeted responses. 

National projects

The Australian Federal Government is involved in the following projects addressing inhalant abuse.

The Eight Point Plan for the Central Desert Region
The Eight Point Plan was developed as a result of input from communities dealing with petrol sniffing, previous reviews (Comgas Scheme)  and several meetings conducted by an Inter-Departmental Committee relating to petrol sniffing in July and August 2005.  State, Territory and Commonwealth representatives supported the proposal in September 2005. The aims of the plan are to reduce "the incidence and impact of petrol sniffing in a defined area of Central Australia by addressing the mix of inter-related causes", and to evaluate "the effectiveness of a regional and comprehensive response to petrol sniffing, to help establish whether and how it might usefully be expanded to other regions".

The eight points that make up the plan are:

1. Roll-out of unleaded Opal Fuel to affected communities.
2. A uniform legal framework across the region dealing with petrol sniffing and mental health.
3. Appropriate levels of policing.
4. Alternate or diversionary activities for young people
5. Activities to strengthen and support communities.
6. Rehabilitation and treatment facilities.
7. A communication strategy.
8. Evaluation.

The government departments involved are Department of Families,  Housing, Community Services, and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA). Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA), Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST ; now Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations - DEEWR) and Attorney General's Department (AGD). 

Source:
Australian Government. Dept. of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (2008), Review of the first phase of the Petrol Sniffing Strategy.

Petrol Sniffing Prevention Program (PSPP)
Managed by the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) the key components of the Petrol Sniffing Prevention Program are:

• Supply of subsidised Opal fuel to Indigenous communities, roadhouses, petrol stations and other relevant fuel outlets
• Communication activities, aimed at supporting the promotion and implementation of the PSPP as well as the government approach to petrol sniffing
• Information resources related to Opal fuel and petrol sniffing in general
• Treatment and respite monitoring. These services will be provided in conjunction with the relevant States and Territories
• Data collection
• Evaluation of the PSPP

Youth Wellbeing Project
Funding provided for the Council for Aboriginal Alcohol Program Service (CAAPS)
This project has four main aims:

1. Reduce the incidence of inhalants abuse by youth in the Top End of the Northern Territory.
2. Increase the social and emotional well being of communities by promoting awareness and increasing access to health services.
3. Provide accredited training for community and other service members to deal with inhalants abuse.
4. To work collaboratively with Indigenous communities and other service providers to develop a community approach to tackle inhalants abuse.

Federal government web pages

Australian Institute of Criminology

HealthInsite

Federal government inquiries and reports

The Senate. Standing Committee on Community Affairs (2009), Grasping the opportunity of Opal: Assessing the impact of the Petrol Sniffing Strategy, Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia

Australian Government. Dept. of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (2008), Review of the first phase of the Petrol Sniffing Strategy.

d'Abbs P and Shaw G (2008), Executive summary of the 'Evaluation of the impact of Opal Fuel', Canberra: Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing

The Senate. Community Affairs Committee (2008), Inquiry into petrol sniffing and substance abuse in Central Australia.

The Senate. Community Affairs Reference Committee (2006), Beyond petrol sniffing: renewing hope for Indigenous communities, Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

 State based information

[ Australian Capital Territory / New South Wales | Northern Territory | Queensland | South Australia | Tasmania | Victoria | Western Australia ]

{ page updated: 23 Mar 2009 }