Petrol Sniffing in Indigenous Communities

[footscrazy]

Petrol sniffing is deemed to be a serious problem in several Indigenous communities. Stats (which should be taken with a grain of salt) suggest that over 100 Indigenous people across Australia have died across Australia 1981 to 2003 from petrol sniffing; rates of up to 70% of the under 25 population sniffing have also been reported in some communities.

As a measure to try and deal with the problem, the reportedly unsinffable petrol 'Opal' was introduced in 2005. This low-aromatic fuel is subsidised by the government so that it's the same price as normal unleaded fuel, but the switch to sell it is voluntary.

Opal is claimed to have slashed snffing rates, but its not a perfect solution. Opal fuel can still be sniffed, especially with some modifications, and in April 2007 a boy died after sniffing it. Also, some roadhouses refuse to sell it, saying it's too expensive and that it doesn't work in some engines. This is true particularly for motorbikes and lawn mowers, which can't be run on Opal. As a result, the preferred unleaded petrol is still obtainable and is reportedly brought into communities and sold for high prices (the article stated $100/litre). It's claimed some Indigenous people are also switching to sniffing glue instead, or turning to other drugs such as alcohol.

When I heard the discussion on whether Opal should be made mandatory to sell, rather than voluntary, my first thought was of course it should be. But it brought up other questions to me, like, as someone who firmly believes that people should have the freedom to decide what they do to their bodies, how is it my place (or anyone else's) to decide what substances are 'acceptable' (in my eyes) for someone to use? Do we draw the line depending on how dangerous the substance is? Some might claim that the consequences of petrol sniffing are too high, and that it can't be used responsibly, though I'm sure many people believe that about all drugs. Could we say that these communities can't make an informed choice to use because they lack education on petrol sniffing and it's effects? Once again, I feel uncomfortable on anyone else thinking that they are in a position to make that decision for someone else, or a whole community. It feels arrogant and superior to me.

Do you think it should be madatory for roadhouses to sell Opal? Everywhere? Just near Indigenous communities? In South Aus the Mount Dare Hotel Owners David and Melissa Cox still sell unleaded petrol, but not to Indigenous People

Do you think that anyone has the right to judge what substance someone else uses? Does this view change depending on the substance and its particular effects?

How do you think the harms resulting from petrol sniffing should be addressed? I read about some excellent work Peggy Nampijinpa Brown has been doing in Yuendumu, near Alice Springs. She takes them to Mt Theo Outstation, a geographically isolated, as well as powerfully spiritual spot for this Indigenous community. They're taken bush, and taught hunting, leadership and bush skills. She received an Order of Australia Medal for her work, and well deserved too IMO.

Note that I don't think that petrol sniffing is confined to Indigenous people, but I wanted to focus on this particular demographic for this thread, because I think it brings up interesting questions regarding the different standards we (often unconsciously) hold 'them' to, as opposed to 'us'.

Creative Spirits page on petrol sniffing.

Petrol sniffing: stepping softly is no solution. MARK SCHLIEBS, The Australian, July 28, 2012

Youth workers push for mandatory Opal fuel rollout. ABC News, 'The World Today radio program', reported by Sara Everingham.

 

[DeathDomokun]

Do you think it should be madatory for roadhouses to sell Opal?

No.

In South Aus the Mount Dare Hotel Owners David and Melissa Cox still sell unleaded petrol, but not to Indigenous People

Shops are allowed to refuse to sell anything they want at their discretion.

Do you think that anyone has the right to judge what substance someone else uses?

Yes, everyone has the right to make judgements about everything. The right to dictate what substances someone can use is entirely different, though.

Does this view change depending on the substance and its particular effects?

The judgement might change, but the ability to judge doesn't. We don't have the thought police just yet.

How do you think the harms resulting from petrol sniffing should be addressed?

Give them something to do. If you're living in a shitty little house, kicking around dirt all day, you're bound to get bored and you may turn to a substance that will help pass the time and cease the boredom. A lot of people have jobs, which might contribute to their lack of abusing solvents.

Note that I don't think that petrol sniffing is confined to Indigenous people, but I wanted to focus on this particular demographic for this thread, because I think it brings up interesting questions regarding the different standards we (often unconsciously) hold 'them' to, as opposed to 'us'.

It isn't confined to Aboriginals, but they're the main demographic who do it. When you're in the outback and there's nothing to do, some people tend to use drugs as means to kill the void/tedium of their existence. Petrol/solvents are cheaper (and easier to access) than alcohol.

 

[spacejunk]

It's not just 'tedium', it is the result of generations of culture, language and custom being destroyed.
There are no easy answers in how to help create a better future for these (specifically indigenous) people
Banning petrol in some places has shown yet again that prohibition doesn't work - in this case we need real cultural change - and healing.
I truly wish I knew any sort of answers of how to achieve this though. People in pain will always find something (no matter how toxic) to try to nullify the pain. Maybe drugs that arent so distrucfive (ie cannabis) we legal and available this whole thing wouldn't even be such an issue?
Either way, very sad.

 

[DeathDomokun]

Replacing one drug with another may reduce harm, but it's not a solution. The solution would be ceasing the cause of their desire to use drugs , something I don't believe is possible (from personal experience)
What I do think is a more viable solution would be stopping the self-destructive and apathetic drug use as a means of escaping an issue, although again, I can't say I've had success in such a predicament.

 

[spacejunk]

What I do think is a more viable solution would be stopping the self-destructive and apathetic drug use as a means of escaping an issue, although again, I can't say I've had success in such a predicament.

how though? how - through your urbanised, western-educated experience - can you possibly relate, or pretend to relate to the people living in these communities?
i assume you've not had your culture/land/language/heritage stolen by colonialism and institutionalised racism, so your "personal experience" doesn't really have much to go by in terms of an example.
these are dispossessed people. as individuals and as communities, they have suffered trauma and indginity beyond anything you could comprehend.
without acknowledging or understanding this, i don't even understand why you'd offer a comment.

we're not talking about easy-fixes, simple answers or "giving people something to do"

Give them something to do. If you're living in a shitty little house, kicking around dirt all day, you're bound to get bored and you may turn to a substance that will help pass the time and cease the boredom. A lot of people have jobs, which might contribute to their lack of abusing solvents.

this comment demonstrates your absolute ignorance on the matter at hand. if you seriously think "they" are just lacking "something to do" then i seriously suggest you try visiting some of these outback towns. how do "they" get a job when there is little to no economy in the area?
if you think the challenges faced by indigenous australia - particularly outer rural communities - are as simple as what you have said above, then i really think you have no place voicing your opinion. sure, you're entitled to have it, but maybe you should keep it to yourself.

the hardships faced by these people are the result of centuries of brutal white colonialism that carved up and stole their lands, raped, murdered and imprisoned people as they treated the various ways of living on that land as 'primitive' as well as 'criminal'.

an example of how cold - and how recent - this history is; it is only since the 1967 referendum that indigenous australians were counted as human beings on the australian census.
the belief among many white leaders and pastoralists of the time was that 'australian natives' were a breed that were dying out, so they (in the christian wisdom) saw to it, in many cases, to help this process along a bit.
nowadays, we call that sort of thing genocide.

generations of persecution and dispossession, babies stolen from their mothers, countless ancient languages and belief systems destroyed by compulsory teaching of the english language and christianity, "settlement" camps and all the other shameful bullshit that has gone on in this country. i won't keep raving on about it, because i feel it is clearly wasted on you, DeathDomokun.
your personal history of drug use, drug substitution or "stopping the self-destructive and apathetic drug use as a means of escaping an issue" is utterly irrelevant to this topic.

reading back on what you've written, i start to think that maybe i should ease off on you a little bit because you clearly have no fucking idea what you're talking about. but because you are commenting as if you have something worthwhile to say, i will say this-
before you go around talking like you understand what is happening in some of these deeply troubled communities, try getting off your arse and seeing them for yourself. learn about their history. talk to the people; listen to the hopes, their fears, their dreams, the problems.

this might be a bit 'advanced' for you, so i'll give you a more realistic suggestion; take advantage of the privileged position you find yourself in, as a literate australian, and educate yourself.
learn something about this country and its history. learn about why is is we have communities within our own country with life expectancy and infant mortality rates that are worse than some of the poorest developing nations. why we still have people suffering tuberculosis and leprosy in this country.
it is those people that don't do this - that think these massive social problems are things people have 'brought upon themselves' that are a big part of the problem.
the substance abuse problems that plague rural indigenous australia are just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[DeathDomokun]

That's cool man, you can say and think what you want.
If you think you'd be just fine in the middle of no where with nothing to do, then good for you. I know I wouldn't, and this thread shows that others aren't.
I don't know how much experience you've had, but my mother spent a hefty amount of time in the outback with aboriginals. Although I wasn't there to experience that, I've vicariously gained some knowledge. Some of the people in my family are also aboriginal, not that it's all that relevant, because I don't care whether you think I know anything about this subject or not.
Your reading comprehension has obviously been compromised by your emotions and you've taken things away that I didn't say nor insinuate.
I know that substance abuse is just one of the results of the problems that are in rural Australia, but that's what this thread is about.
If you want to discuss the plethora of problems in the outback, make your own thread. If you want to discuss petrol sniffing, continue to post in this thread, but I'm over it.
If you think the substance abuse isn't self-destructive and apathetic in nature, and a result of the issues in rural Australia that people wouldn't want to deal with, please, give me your opinion.
Actually don't. I'm done with this thread.

 

[spacejunk]

I'm done with this thread.

that's good - we might get some decent conversation out of what is a very complicated topic.
as for my reading comprehension; it drives me fucking nuts when australian hicks refer to "aboriginals". aboriginal whats?
'aboriginal' is an adjective. as for what i have or haven't read from your posts...well, i think they speak for themselves.

now, i would like to stop derailing this thread in asking you to stop being so simplistically dismissive. but you're "done with this thread", so i guess that's redundant.

i don't know how i feel about the Opal unsniffable petrol. for me, like you footscrazy, it raises more questions in my mind than it answers.
if people are going to chase volatile solvents for a buzz (or whatever disorienting effect it has - a cheap escape may be a better description) then surely they will find a way.

it is clear there is something terribly, terribly wrong in our rural indigenous communities, and i feel that a quick-fix solution (taking away the popular, cheap, readily available intoxicant that is causing so much harm and grief) does little but push these people onto finding other way of getting petrol or another abusable solvent.
i feel that the burden to helping solve this problem lays somehow on all australians - rural or city-dwellers, rich, poor, black, white and everything in between.
as i said earlier - there is clearly no simple fix, but i think we need to start some kind of coming-together of all australians. we have a really sad and bleak history in many ways, and the pain of that can not be washed away in a few well-chosen words or well-meaning financial investments.
one way or another, we need to heal the deep scars of colonialism and unite the dispossessed traditional owners with the various communities that live in this country now. without mutual effort and social healing, it seems unlikely that the wounds of this land will do much more than continue to fester.
so much of the problem is the great cultural differences between the people of the land and the ways in which modern people live. not only this, but the traditional ways of living that had been adhered to for millennia prior to european invasion is no longer possible due to pastoralisation, land-clearing and other massive changes that have taken place in the continent's ecosystems.

to me - and likely, to many others, what i'm saying here is obvious. it offers no answers, no clear solutions.
why? there are no clear solutions; we are simply trying to make amends for the great wrongs of our plundering forefathers.
this is not to put the blame totally on them - i am sure that most - if not all "early settlers" thought they were doing the right thing for everybody - blackfellas included in imposing this Eurocentric culture on the australian continent.
one of the major negative implications of the process, as can be so clearly seen today, is that many of the land's original inhabitants are in a truly bad way - lost. is this something all australians have some responsibility for - something that was done centuries before we were all born? i say yes. absolutely.
but what do we do?
who the fuck knows?!

...but talking about it is a start.

 

[footscrazy]

I was hoping this topic could generate some intelligent discussion on this interesting and complex issue, and the greater questions that underlie it, and you haven't disappointed there spacejunk.

DeathDomokun, your penchant for semantics comes at the expense of any meaningful engagement with this topic - a consideration you've not held back demanding from spacejunk, despite failing to heed it yourself.

To get back on topic, I agree that there is no quick fix. I think that initiatives like the one Peggy Nampijinpa Brown implemented are probably a useful avenue to explore and expand. I think that Indigenous Australians are in an incredibly tough position - their culture often desecrated or fractured beyond repair - or unable to keep pace and evolve to address the rapid changes these people have had to adapt to. When a way of life or culture is no longer compatible in the face of extremely damaging externalities - perhaps it's no surprise that people turn away and become even further disengaged. I don't know enough about Indigenous peoples to be able to theorise with any degree of authority whatsoever - but it seems to me that Indigenous people are stuck between an ancient culture, way of life and identity, and 'our' Western lifestyle, without being able to fully be either.

While I think the issues facing Indigenous Australians are undoubtedly of utmost importance - I don't necessarily these things should be explored as a possible 'solution' to substance use specifically because I don't think substance use is necessarily something that needs to be 'fixed' - beyond abuse as distinct from use anyway. I'd hope that mitigating detrimental social impacts will help mitigate self destructive behaviours. Maybe in an ideal world safer, affordable options would be available for these people to alter their consciousness. I know that kava was introduced as a legal alternative in some communities with this goal in mind - but it's been made illegal again now, and I'm not too familiar with why it wasn't succesful. I would guess that the popularity of petrol is mostly related to it's affordability/accessibility.

I think the lost culture, knowledge, history, languages and so on of Indigenous peoples is absolutely tragic. There must be so much of importance that has been lost forever. In just one example I sometimes wonder about - surely Indigenous people used psilocybin. This knowledge and ritual no longer exists. Tens of thousands of years of important human history wiped out - the loss really is on an unimaginable scale.

 

[Juvenile]

When I heard the discussion on whether Opal should be made mandatory to sell, rather than voluntary, my first thought was of course it should be. But it brought up other questions to me, like, as someone who firmly believes that people should have the freedom to decide what they do to their bodies, how is it my place (or anyone else's) to decide what substances are 'acceptable' (in my eyes) for someone to use?

I find myself having hypocritical thoughts in regards to this too. I think I should be free to choose what I ingest in to my body, so how can I say that others shouldn’t be?
But Petrol.... really? Maybe I draw a line somewhere after all.
I'd never really considered that people would choose this. I wonder, if given the choice between petrol, and opiates, would anyone choose petrol? Surly not.

I think ultimately the solution is to provide better living conditions and some meaning to these people’s lives. Living in the middle of nowhere with no job and nothing to do all day is surely to blame. I think if this could be changed by waving a magic wand (or throwing a pile of cash at it) it would have been fixed already.

 

[Ashley]

Is it predominately inhalants that are the problem in indigenous communities? I mean alcohol would certainly dominate and I know that the NT government get really excited when the make a cannabis seizure - there was also that massive Kava seizure not long ago, though I'd imagine most of that would be destined for Arnhem Land where its traditionally used. When I spent time in WA and the NT, drugs were ridiculously expensive; I remember paying $60 for an MDMA pill and the same price as heroin in NSW per point of "base" methamphetamine. I hate to think what sort of prices marijuana is sold for.

 

[Mel22]

I think ultimately the solution is to provide better living conditions and some meaning to these people’s lives. Living in the middle of nowhere with no job and nothing to do all day is surely to blame.

Wow

 

[Ashley]

People will use drugs anywhere, in any level of society and for every reason. It is unfortunate that inhalants, of all the superior and safer compounds, specifically ethanol, is so widely abused in isolated and indigenous communities. I think this has a lot to do with the price of illicit drugs in these areas. Greedy suppliers have realised that there is a LOT of money to be made in the top end and ship drugs up there from the southern states, keeping prices high and maintaining domination over the drug market.

If recreational drugs were more available and also not ridiculously priced, I think you would find a lot more people using them. It is a sad state of affairs that a litre of ethanol is a substance even in demand hence the supply. My point being, regardless of the living conditions and lack of meaning in said people's lives, living in the middle of nowhere, unemployed and with days that have no structure; are easy to blame as the culprit behind the problem. But I don't agree.

I have lived in decent living conditions, have been also depressed and miserable that I failed to see a lack of meaning in life, was living in the local CBD at the time, employed as a computer automation engineer when I turned up for work at least - during this time I was using IV methamphetamine and IV heroin, but to attribute my drug use solely to my life situation is a cop out. I have also lived on the other side of the coin, have used drugs and have also NOT used drugs when I could have blamed the drugs for the reason I had no job, was living on the streets and felt as though life was not worth living.

Sorry for rambling..

Ash.

 

[yagecero]

Good thread, and good points from Spacejunk and Footsy.

The issue, which has been elucidated above, is a sociocultural one. I agree 100% with Spacejunk's point regarding the inherently racist views of Anglo-European Australians, and it definitely appears that education is a large problem. Not education of the indigenous, but of the rest of the nation in regard to understanding first, Australia's atrocious history (yes, it was a GENOCIDE, and Rudd's "sorry" was little more than a platitude), and secondly, the sensitive sociocultural issues that arise due to this situation.

Someone made the point about the indigenous peoples being stuck between their various ancient cultures and modern Australia, and I have to agree with this too. White Australia has stolen their culture(s) and history and now expects them to conform to another, completely adverse, mode of being. But how can it be expected that a group move from their history into another one (which includes the death of the various indigenous cultures), when hardly anyone knows (remembers) where they are coming from? And why would they want to accept the oppressor's way as the right way to be?

These are difficult questions, and they become more obfuscated when we add the notion of personal liberty. Wanting to forget and not take part in what is offered seems to make sense to me, especially when I consider what I know about the sociocultural relations between white Australia and indigenous Australia.

I agree that inhalants are terrible, but the level of control white Australia has over the indigenous is still immense today (to say the least), and these questions are not so simple as saying "it's bad that the indigenous are harming themselves with inhalants and alcohol" so we should remove access to these modes of escape.

I feel that indigenous Australians are still treated as animals. How many times have we all heard the line "I'm sick of those aboriginals getting so much from the government without doing anything for it"? This statement, along with many other ridiculous perceptions, are rife today, and until the we accept responsibility for, and have a deeper understanding of the sociocultural quagmire that has been created, there will be no moving forward.

Extremely difficult questions, which need even more complicated answers that I can't provide.

 

[laugh]

It's not just 'tedium', it is the result of generations of culture, language and custom being destroyed.
There are no easy answers in how to help create a better future for these (specifically indigenous) people
Banning petrol in some places has shown yet again that prohibition doesn't work - in this case we need real cultural change - and healing.
I truly wish I knew any sort of answers of how to achieve this though. People in pain will always find something (no matter how toxic) to try to nullify the pain. Maybe drugs that arent so distrucfive (ie cannabis) we legal and available this whole thing wouldn't even be such an issue?
Either way, very sad.

^ this, its bigger than what the petty smells like, people will always find a way of escape no matter how unhealthy. WHY DO PEOPLE NEED TO FIND AN ESCAPE FROM REALITY, what are we running/hiding from? Why do people anaesthetise with alcohol?

white people have a superior society??? is chasing money the reason we are here? is money a means to an end? will money love us? will money provide us with another place to live when we have destroyed this planet?

aboriginal people had a thriving society for something like 40,000 years. white people won't make 4,000 years.

our society is a disgrace!!! we are fucking this earth ready to move to the next planet like a virus. people need to wake the fuck up!

great thread btw footscrazy PEACE

good post yagecero

 

[poledriver]

Mods feel free to move this to the drug busts thread since it's not really about petrol sniffing, but is about people trying to get drugs into the Aboriginal communities -

Operation Ewok

Operation Ewok targeted the transportation of Alcohol and Drugs into remote aboriginal communities. Members from the Drug and Organised Crime Squad, the Substance Abuse Intelligence Desk, Federal Police and the Dog Operations Unit combined to disrupt the supply of these illicit substances into the communities via air and road transport.

Detective Senior Sergeant Peter Schiller said the operation involved the screening of passengers and freight at Darwin airport and strategic roadblocks across the Top End.

"Police will use every resource available against these people who are destroying lives and profiteering through the trafficking of drugs and alcohol. The coordinated effort between the Substance Abuse Intelligence Desk, the Federal Police and our Detectives and Dog Squad Members has prevented a significant amount of drugs and alcohol from reaching its intended destination."

During the operation eighteen people were arrested for Possess, or Possess and Supply, Cannabis and eleven people were given summons for Possess Cannabis.

Thirty four people received Drug Infringement notices while another two were issued cautions for Possess Cannabis and Possess Kava.

A total of 1,737 grams of cannabis, 1kg of kava and 0.3 grams of methamphetamines were seized during the operation.

Detective Senior Sergeant Schiller said one of the more unusual seizures was 190 grams of cannabis secreted inside two frozen lamb roasts.

“The offenders in this case had gone to some effort to conceal the drugs inside the lamb before freezing it in an apparent attempt to confuse the Drug Detection Dogs. The experienced dog Nugget was not fooled and gave a positive indication on the meat. An x-ray revealed packages inside both roasts.

And a few more pics on the site-

http://www.pfes.nt.gov.au/Media-Centre/Media-releases/2012/August/07/Operation-Ewok.aspx

 

[poledriver]

Outcry as racist Facebook page labelled 'humour'

A campaign has been launched condemning Facebook over its claims that a racist Facebook page is not considered hate speech.

A web campaign is calling on Facebook to remove a page which portrays Aboriginal people as inferior drunks who sniff petrol and bludge off welfare. Boxer Anthony Mundine says it is "appalling" that Facebook has refused to remove the page so far.

"So as long as you have a pretense of being funny about it you can vilify Aboriginal people? Really? If that's their policy they need to have a serious re-look at it," said Graham. "Racist doesn't even begin to describe the images. They're so offensive it beggars belief."

"What this does is celebrate the destruction of a people. It celebrates the fact that Aboriginal people feel so hurt and so disempowered that they petrol sniff to forget their problems ... I don't think Mark Zuckerberg had this in mind when he invented what is otherwise a fantastic social networking platform."

Anthony Mundine said: "It just goes to show how behind we are, how racist this country is. A lot of people that ain't as strong as me it plays with their emotions ... but shit like that just motivates me really to do the best ever and that's what i'm going to do, i'm going to be the best ever and they'll have to say a black man was the best ever full stop period."
Andrew Street has been part of a Facebook campaign to get the racist page removed from the site.

Full article-

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/te...ook--page-labelled-humour-20120808-23tr1.html

 

[gimpan]

It would seem as though the only people to help the Aboriginals are the Aboriginals, throwing money at these people and treating them as they are different than non Aboriginals to me seems like it is going to do nothing but leave cause a greater divide.

As much as I hate bigoted people I can understand their point of view.

 

[laugh]

what was their currency pre invasion?

We need a thread about population. Is there anyone else frightened to bring children into the ugly unhealthy work we are creating. Does anyone else feel having more than one child is selfish? I know the Christians are trying desperately to keep the muzzies at bay. Hijacking unintentional

 

[spacejunk]

It would seem as though the only people to help the Aboriginals are the Aboriginals, throwing money at these people and treating them as they are different than non Aboriginals to me seems like it is going to do nothing but leave cause a greater divide.

As much as I hate bigoted people I can understand their point of view.

So, you're admitting that none of the above was read (or understood) by you

 

[nikki09]

I work with indigenous kids aged 10-17 in west qld.
The kids I work with inhale petrol as first choice but will use deodorant and glue if petrol can not be sourced.
Introducing opal fuel out here would not stop the young people from using, our town is big enough to source other inhalants easily.