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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

ADCA (2010) Policy position- Inhalants, Canberra: Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia. [pdf - 233kB ]
ADCA (2010) Factsheet- Inhalants, Canberra: Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia. [pdf - 112kB ]

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

Australian Government (2010). Combined Australian Government response to two Senate Community Affairs References Committee reports on petrol sniffing in Indigenous communities.  Canberra.  [pdf - 239 kB]

This document is the Australian government’s response to the 2006 report Beyond petrol sniffing: renewing hope for Indigenous communities and the 2008 report Grasping the opportunity of Opal: assessing the impact of the petrol sniffing strategy; detailing their response to the recommendations made in each report.

Cultural & Indigenous Research Centre Australia. (2010). Research to inform the development of the Youth Diversion Communication Strategy in the East Kimberly and Central Desert Region (CDR). FaHCSIA. [website]

Commissioned by FaHCSIA, this research was conducted to inform future communications strategies and policies aimed at reducing substance abuse in the East Kimberly and Central Desert Region .

FaHCSIA (2010). Approved response to Central Australian Petrol Sniffing Strategy Unit review report.  [website]

In 2009, URBIS was commissioned to evaluate the Central Australian Petrol Sniffing Strategy Unit (CAPSSU).  This report is the response to that evaluation addressing the recommendations of the original report.

Shaw, G. (2010). Research into legislation relating to petrol sniffing - Executive Summary. FaHCSIA. [website]

This report was commissioned by FaHCSIA following the 2006 Senate Community Affairs References Committee report Beyond petrol sniffing: renewing hope for Indigenous communities.  It looks at the impact of jurisdictional legislation   related to petrol sniffing.  

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

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{ page updated: 1 July 2010 }