The Federal Governement and all experts are in the process of rolling out Opal fuel that they say will curb petrol sniffing by our young people, like anything that is done in hast like a certain brand of band-aid, its a quick fix, generally falls off and the infection will continue.
But the band-aid company company will make money as long as we keep using same brand band-aid.
The opal fuel can be mixed with another product that is easiely asseesable to anyone from remote communities and the larger community and is being used by young petrol sniffers in certain areas and a matter of time till the grapevine travels. All the experts and all the testing cannot beat a 10 year old child.

Dear Indigenous Kimberley,

I came across the following website
which may be of interest:

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?Articleld=53040

It's titled: "Opal fuel 'saves 13 lives'
in two years," by Tara Ravens, AAP, May 29, 2008.

Blair McFarland, from the Central Australian Youth
Link Up Service said petrol sniffing had fallen by 90%
since it was introduced in 2005.

"Before Opal was rolled out, there were more that
500 petrol sniffers in this region, with seven
deaths every year from sniffing," he said.

"The health and social problems caused by sniffing in the
region cost the taxpayer an estimated $78.9 million per
year."

"We estimate that 13 lives have been saved by the
introduction of Opal and through community actions,
as well as saving the taxpayer an estimated $50 million
per year in health, police and other other costs."

Susie Low, manager of the Mt Theo Yuendumu Substance Misuse
Aboriginal Corporation, said teenagers from the remote
Aboriginal communities of Yuendumu, Nyirripi and
Willowra were now "much safer."

"Opal made it possible for parents to control the minor
outbreaks of sniffing that happen in our community," she said.

Before Opal she said it was impossible to control sniffing
because petrol was in every car.

The Federal Government subsidises Opal, which costs more
to produce than normal unleaded.

All the communities in Central Australia have voluntarily
switched to the new fuel.

This may not be a perfect solution, but surely its a step
in the right direction?

That link didn't work "Foxy"

Dear eftfnc,

My apologies.

Try googling:

Opal Fuel saves 13 lives in two years

The article should come up by Tara Ravens.

I think you'll find that Kimberley's point is not that Opal fuel doesn't save lives to date.

Her point is that there is a way around Opal fuel via an easily obtainable additive, that over "time" will become general knowledge via the grapevine. That's her point.