Council urges wider distribution of 'unsniffable' petrol

An Aboriginal council in Alice Springs says a new fuel that cannot be used by petrol sniffers to get high should be introduced right across central Australia.

The Federal Government is launching the fuel in remote Aboriginal communities today.

"[It is] a special type of unleaded fuel without any aromatic hydrocarbons specially designed for use in remote Indigenous communities," Health Minister Tony Abbott told Parliament.

"I'm pleased to say that thanks to this, the Government will continue to spend $1 million a year supplying unsniffable fuel to remote communities where petrol sniffing is a potential problem."

Blair McFarland who works with petrol sniffers for the Tangentyere Council in Alice Springs says the fuel should be rolled out across central Australia from Port Augusta to Katherine and across the border to Laverton in Western Australia.

He says subsidising the rollout may cost the Government less than it spends on caring for chronic petrol sniffers.

"We've done an estimate - based on the amount of fuel sold in the region of $8 million a year - which is the equivalent of looking after 30 brain damaged petrol sniffers," he said.

Mr McFarland says the rollout would also cripple the black market in petrol in central Australia.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: 18th February 2005
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Website: http://www.abc.net.au
Email: comments@your.abc.net.au
Copyright: 2005 Australian Broadcasting Corporation