SNIFFERS SHUT OUT OF TREATMENT PROGRAMS

CHRONIC solvent abusers such as the 14-year-old boy driving the car in
Monday's fatal crash in Wilson do not have access to specific treatment or
rehabilitation to help them fight their addiction.

Mission Australia WA manager Anne Russel-Brown said it was difficult to
attract money for programs which dealt with legal substances such as solvents.

The issue had been left out of the State Government's drug summit.

There were also fears that in group therapy the sniffers could be exposed
to illicit drug users.

Associate Professor Steve Allsop, director of practice development for the
Drug and Alcohol Office, said levels of solvent abuse in the community were
usually cyclical.

As many as 20 per cent of the population admitted trying solvents at some
stage but about 5 per cent were a core group of regular users. The number
of chronic sniffers was relatively small.

Professor Allsop said the consequences of sniffing solvents depended on the
type of substance.

"The short-term effects can include sudden respiratory failure, losing
consciousness and vomiting," he said.

In chronic cases, sniffers could suffer an irregular heart beat, kidney,
liver and brain damage.

The cyclical nature of the problem meant it was not practical to offer
exclusive programs for sniffers.

"A number of community groups and community services do engage with chronic
sniffing problems," he said.

"But you have to make sure various services around the State are capable of
dealing with people with a range of drug issues."

Beneath the activity of sniffing lies a range of social and poverty-related
problems which put young people on a destructive path.

Housing advocate Betsy Buchanan said the common denominator among families
she assisted was sexual and physical abuse.

"It doesn't always come out straight off," she said. "They're always
reluctant to talk about it, but you find there has often been some form of
abuse."

Professor Allsop said research had shown connections with family, school
and community networks were the best ways to prevent drug use becoming a
problem.

"Young people who are not connected to those three main areas are at risk
of a whole range of problems, including solvent use and other drug use," he
said.