Sniffing threatens stuff of champions

PETROL sniffing is destroying a generation of Aboriginal Territorians, football champion Michael Long said yesterday.

The Darwin-born former Essendon star said long-term sniffers "ended up dead or in a wheelchair".

"It's rotting their brains and bodies," he said. "Even those who sniff just once can die."

Mr Long said substance abusers could get the same "good feeling" from ceremony, family, fishing and sport.

He was speaking at the launch of a resource kit called Sniffing and the Brain.

The 40-page kit was developed by Darwin's Menzies School of Health Research.

Menzies doctor Sheree Cairney said sniffers could recover if they stopped the abuse.

"But the longer they sniff the harder is (sic) gets," she said.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org/petrol.html
Pubdate: Sat, 24 September 2005
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Author: Nigel Adlam
Copyright: 2005 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://ntnews.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/283