Between 2000 and 2001, over 200 people were admitted to Northern Territory (NT) hospitals for psychological problems related to petrol sniffing.

Suicides were responsible for approximately 25 per cent of petrol sniffing related deaths in Central Australia during 1998–2003.

Petrol sniffing has been a major source of illness, death and social dysfunction in Indigenous communities over the past few decades. Sniffers start to experience feelings of euphoria, relaxation, numbness and weightlessness, but often end up with serious and irreversible brain and organ damage. The part of the brain that controls movement and balance is damaged and, eventually, users cannot walk or talk properly. Many sniffers end up in a wheelchair with severe, long term brain damage.

Sniffing also leads to behavioural and social problems and sniffers often get into trouble with the law for vandalism, violence, robbery and sexual assault. They find it difficult to stay at school and hold down jobs.

Poverty, boredom, unemployment, feelings of hopelessness and despair have contributed to the problem, aided by the low cost and ready availability of petrol. However, with the introduction of the federal Petrol Sniffing Prevention Program, including the roll out of Opal Fuel, and the NT Volatile Solvent Abuse Prevention Legislation, significant reductions in petrol sniffing in remote communities have been observed.

Our research focus:

• To research and educate to increase understanding and awareness of the harms of sniffing.
• To evaluate the impact of petrol sniffing policies.

Our research impact: 

• We demonstrated that with abstinence from petrol sniffing, the brain could return to normal depending on the severity of impairment. Previously, there was no evidence suggesting that long-term brain damage associated with chronic petrol sniffing was recoverable.
• Our evaluations of the impact of Opal fuel have shown significant reductions in petrol sniffing and associated harms in regions where Opal fuel is available.

Key staff:

• Professor Peter D’abbs
• Associate Professor Kylie Dingwall

Collaborators:

• Northern Territory Government
• Department of Health and Ageing
• Council for Aboriginal Alcohol Program Services (CAAPS)
• Ilpurla
• Bowchung Pty Ltd

• Data collection for the petrol sniffing prevention program.

1. Monitoring trends in the prevalence of petrol sniffing in selected Australian Aboriginal communities 2011-2014: Final Report. 
2. Cairney, S., O'Connor, N., Dingwall, K.M., Maruff, P., Shafiq-Antonacci, R., Currie, J., & Currie, B.J. (2013). A prospective study of neurocognitive changes 15 years after chronic inhalant abuse. Addiction, 108(6), 1107-1114.
3. Dingwall, K.M., & Cairney, S. (2011). Recovery from central nervous system (CNS) changes following volatile solvent use (VSU). Substance Use and Misuse, 46(S1), 73-83.
4. Dingwall, K.M., Lewis, M.S., Maruff, P., & Cairney, S. (2010). Assessing cognition following petrol sniffing for Indigenous Australians. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 44(7), 631-639.
5. Dingwall, K.M., Maruff, P., Clough, A.R., & Cairney, S. (2012). Factors associated with continued solvent use in Indigenous petrol sniffers following treatment. Drug and Alcohol Review, 31(1), 40-46.
6. Dingwall, K.M., Maruff, P., Fredrickson, A., & Cairney, S. (2011). Cognitive recovery during and after treatment for volatile solvent abuse. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 118(2-3), 180-185.
7. Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. (2008). Executive summary of the "Evaluation of the Impact of Opal Fuel". Canberra, Australia: Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing.
8. d'Abbs, P., & MacLean, S. (2008). Volatile Substance Misuse: A Review of Interventions. National Drug Strategy Monograph Series No.65. Canberra: Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
9. d'Abbs, P., & MacLean, S. (2011). Petrol Sniffing Interventions Among Australian Indigenous Communities Through Product Substitution: From Skunk Juice to Opal. Substance Use & Misuse, 46(S1), 99-106.
10. MacLean, S., & d'Abbs, P. (2002). Petrol sniffing in Aboriginal communities: a review of interventions. Drug and Alcohol Review, 21(1), 65-72.
11. MacLean, S., & d'Abbs, P. (2006). Will modifying inhalants reduce volatile substance misuse?  A review. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 13(5), 423-439.
12. MacLean, S., & d'Abbs, P. (2011). Five challenges for volatile substance misuse policy and intervention in Australia. Drug and Alcohol Review, 30(2), 223-227. 

Click here to view more petrol sniffing publications in PubMed.

• Sniffing and the brain
• When girls and women sniff
• When boys and men sniff.