That+Sniff+Sniff+No+Good


 * // “That Sniff Sniff No Good!” //** **//The Workshop//**

**By Jamie Duke**
//“My nephew thinks he’s really strong and powerful and tough. They think they can fly and jump really high”//

//“They can hear things for miles away. They can hear really clear when they are stoned for that petrol. If you are sneaking up on them, they know you are coming”//

** Earliest reports of petrol sniffing in the Northern Territory among Aboriginal groups stem back to the Second World War, from the influences of American servicemen who were stationed throughout north Australia and were claimed to inhale petrol when alcohol was unavailable.
 * Introduction

Petrol sniffing has plagued our indigenous communities for over fifty years and it wasn’t until the early 70’s that the Australian Government listened to the cries of help, from our indigenous communities. The government on all levels funded a variety of interventions, they were short lived and offered a one -off pilot projects. However once the funding came to an end, so did the programs.

The supply reduction intervention took place in September 2005, where the government announced $6.5 million dollars would be spent over the next two years rolling out opal fuel across the central desert region. With the introduction of “unsniffable fuel” petrol sniffing was down by half in less then twelve months, in the central desert region. Opal fuel has almost no lead and very low levels of the aromatic hydrocarbons which give the “high” sought by sniffer.

The introduction of non-sniffable Opal fuel is not all successful, it has failed in so many ways. Two years after the introduction of Opal fuel a young 12 year old boy from Hermannsburg 130km from Alice Springs died from sniffing Opal fuel. Police have reported that sniffable petrol is smuggled into communities where it sells for $100 a litre, a 600ml bottle of sniffable petrol can be sold for $50 on the black market. Young people who cannot sniff petrol anymore switch to other drugs like cannabis or ecstasy, glue is another option and it is readily available and cheap.

Petrol sniffing is a major concern in out remote indigenous communities as it has severe physical and psychological effects and the combined consequential social effects threatens, in some communities, to destroy an already fragile social system. Petrol sniffing disrupts the community, creates social disruption, vandalism, violence, increased inter-family conflict and reduced morale in communities. Not to mention the long-term and severe health effects it has on our young people like brain damage, damage to body organs, birth defects, high blood pressure and death! Petrol sniffing needs to be addressed and we need to save our young indigenous people, my event is a travelling workshop that will educate young people in Arnhem Land i.e.; Maningrida, Nhulunbuy about the consequences of petrol sniffing and the effects it has on their communities, families and their health. This significant issue for young people will raise community awareness right across Arnhem Land, and throughout the whole of the Northern Territory if the workshop was successful.

** RESEARCH would be the initial step in planning the workshop, my first point of contact would be Menzies School of Health where I would obtain information on remote indigenous communities in Arnhem Land asking them for the following information; the static’s on petrol sniffing use in Arnhem Land, where it is most chronic, what types of intervention’s have been used in the past and present, where in Arnhem Land has Opal fuel replaced sniffable fuel and how many deaths have occurred prior to the 2007 Intervention and after.
 * The Planning

Loaded with my facts and statics and armed with my own back ground knowledge and the passion to bring community awareness, I would then confront the Federal and State Government and apply for funding to allow the project to proceed.

If all was successful then my fully comprehensive networking skills would begin via phone, email, letter and in person to community service organisations in Darwin and Arnhem Land who deal with young sniffers i.e; CAAPS, Banyan House, Mission Australia, Centrecare and Anglicare. Young ex sniffers from the organisations/communities will also be contacted and asked to participate in the workshop with their consent. School counsellors would be contacted and their young people who are at risk would be invited to participate in the early stages of the workshop, their experiences, opinions and ideas would be appreciated and beneficial. Other networks I would contact are; police, night patrol, nurses and elders both in Darwin and Arnhem Land.

The next step would be to hold a meeting with all my networks and for those in Arnhem there input would be recorded via phone or email. A date, time and venue would need to be arranged where we will discuss the issue (petrol sniffing) at hand and brainstorm the workshop together.

** · Young indigenous people aged between 10-19 yrs old · Community Service Organisations within Darwin and remote indigenous communities in Arnhem Land · The local council in Darwin and remote indigenous communities in Arnhem Land · The State Government ·  Elders · Night Patrol · Schools · Nurses · The general pubic · Menzies School of Health
 * My Networks

** The workshop” Sniff sniff no good” would be created in Darwin with the assistance and support of indigenous communities. It will travel to twelve remote indigenous communities in Arnhem Land and if it was deemed a success then it would travel right across the Northern Territory, providing the funding was granted.
 * The Workshop “Sniff sniff no good”

The workshop is aimed at young indigenous people aged between 10-19 years of age who are petrol sniffers or at risk. The workshop’s aim is to intervene and educate young people about the risks of petrol sniffing and the consequences it is having on their families, community, culture and their health. I want this significant issue to raise awareness to young people and the community.

The venue would depend on the communities’ facilities either a school, town hall or an open out door area would be suitable to run this workshop. The workshop would also begin with ice-breakers so the young people feel comfortable to talk and don’t feel confronted with so many unfamiliar faces. The workshop would be interactive and pictures would be used rather then words as some young people may find reading difficult.

I have carefully chosen a variety of people from various backgrounds to be involved in the workshop (see below) all with very important roles in educating the young people; the guest speaker from CAAPS who will travel to all twelve communities will inform the young people of their services and the support they provide, young ex-sniffer’s from CAAPS/Banyan House will also travel to each community and speak about their experiences as a sniffer and how it effected their families, community and life, a local nurse from each community will educate the young people about the health risks of petrol sniffing, a youth worker from each community who will tell the young people where to go if they are at risk, an elder from each community will talk about the effects that petrol sniffing has on their culture.


 * Who would be involved in the travelling workshop and their role? **
 * Young indigenous people aged 10-19 yrs who would participate in the workshop
 * Remote Indigenous Communities in Arnhem Land
 * A Facilitator to organise and supervise the workshop
 * A guest Speaker from CAAPS talking about their program and service and how petrol sniffing effects families and communities
 * Young ex-sniffer’s from CAAPS/Banyan House who will discuss their experiences as a sniffer and how they have overcome their inhalant misuse
 * An Elder from each community to interpret and discuss with the young people the issues that come with petrol sniffing and how it is affecting their culture, communities and families. The elder can also be used as an interpreter.
 * A local nurse who has some extensive background knowledge dealing with young sniffer’s, their job would be to inform the young people the effects it has on their bodies
 * A Youth Worker from each community who will inform the young people where they can go if they are concerned for the welfare of a family member or a friend, or if they suffer from inhalant misuse i.e., a local organisation

** The young people will be involved in the workshop in the early stages in Darwin where their input and experiences at the meeting will be valued and implemented into the travelling workshop. The young people will be invited to join the travelling workshop telling and teaching young people about their experiences as a sniffer and how they over came their inhalant misuse.
 * Involving the young people in the workshop

Young people from all twelve communities will be heavily involved as this workshop is all about educating them, their input and experience’s will only make the workshop stronger and better every time. Feed back forms will be handed out after every workshop asking the following questions; Their ideas and answers will be implemented in future workshops across the Northern Territory providing the funding is granted.
 * How do they feel about this particular issue that is disrupting their community?
 * What would like to happen in the future, what do they think the community should do to combat petrol sniffing?
 * How did they find the workshop?
 * How we can make it better?
 * Do they know where to go if they need help?

** Evaluation will take place after every workshop with the facilitator, guest speaker, youth worker, nurse, the young people and the elders. A final evaluation after the completion of all twelve workshops will take place in Darwin where everyone involved will meet again and discuss what worked and what didn’t work. I would ask the people involved in the workshop what improvements could be made, did they think it was effective and if they feel it brought community and youth awareness to the communities.
 * Evaluation

CAAPS []
 * References **

Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs []

Substance Magazine

“Stuck Nose”: experiences and understanding petrol sniffing in a remote Aboriginal community []