Petrol sniffing could be a thing of the past

A leading doctor in Aboriginal services has welcomed the prospect of a new fuel that could wipe out petrol sniffing in remote Aboriginal communities.

BP Australia is assessing a new fuel which does not contain harmful lead or the chemicals that get people high.

Petrol sniffing, which can cause brain damage, is endemic in many remote indigenous communities in Australia.

Until the release of a landmark finding this week, it was thought the brain damage was permanent, but researchers in the Northern Territory have found some petrol sniffers can achieve improvement, and some can make a full recovery if they abstain.

Earlier attempts to combat petrol sniffing have included substituting petrol with aviation fuel, which does not contain lead.

John Boffa, a public health medical officer with the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, said it would be a welcome development if the new fuel produced no harmful effects if sniffed.

"With this new fuel it's been suggested that really, even though it can be sniffed, it won't make sniffers high and it won't cause any damage," he told ABC Radio. "And if that turns out to be true, and if it's true that there is no way to use a substance in a harmful way, then that's a welcome development."

Dr Boffa said alcohol restrictions had worked in Aboriginal communities and it was time to implement similar strategies to combat petrol sniffing. "The evidence is overwhelming that supply measures, particularly price-based measures, are incredibly effective at reducing alcohol consumption amongst the heaviest drinkers," he said.

"I think we, as a community, need to come to terms with this and really start to be more serious about implementing supply measures across the board."

- AAP