Kids turn to glue sniffing

Long-term solvent sniffing can result in liver and kidney damage.

Brett Wortman, Sunshine Coast Daily

YOUNG people unable to buy aerosols are turning to a popular clear sealant product to get high.

Booval Police Station officer in charge Sergeant Greg Dwyer said he was aware of a small number of teenagers who had started inhaling glue and similar products since retailers moved to tighten the sale of spray paints.

“We’ve taken a few containers from a small number of individuals,” Sgt Dwyer said.

“There are a couple of areas around Bundamba where they wander through – not so much a single spot where they hang out.”

Empty tubes of sealant can be seen scattered near known paint-sniffing hangouts near the railway line at Booval and Bundamba – sites which police have worked hard to clean up in the past.

Busted plastic bags filled with the material have also been left near the footpath which follows the Bundamba Creek.

“It’s concerning in that the people involved aren’t doing themselves any favours,” Sgt Dwyer said.

“We generally try to refer them to some kind of support, whether it is family members or organisations like Drug Arm.

“The problem with that is that regularly they are not at that point where they want help, which can make our job difficult.”

In Queensland, police have the power to seize and dispose of volatile substances which they suspect are being misused.

But beyond referring sniffers to relevant community organisations their options are limited.

The Queensland Times reported on the significant problem posed by chroming – or paint sniffing – in July 2006, after two people required hospitalisation on the same day as a result of sniffing paint.

Both incidents occurred at Jack Barclay Park, not far from where the current incidents are known to occur.

Local area councillor Trevor Nardi said the problem of sniffing was spread out along the rail corridor but he was prepared to work with police and community health organisation where he could.

“There has been a hell of a lot of graffiti around the Mining Street, Bundamba area, and while we’re not sure if it’s related to the sniffing it’s another thing council is working hard to stamp out,” he said.

“I’m aware that the area behind Bunnings Warehouse is a bit of a hotspot, and that our safe city cameras do pick up a bit of that area, so we’ll be using our cameras to assist police where we can.”

Cr Nardi said he believed the problem, at least within his boundaries, had tapered off in recent years, but that members of the public had the right to walk the streets without feeling threatened.

One of the companies which manufacture the clear sealant warned that breathing in high concentrations can lead to central nervous system depression.

The company warned that this, in turn, could lead to loss of co-ordination, impaired judgement and unconsciousness in the worst cases.

Long-term exposure to one of the chemicals found in the sealant – called toluene – can result in central nervous system disorders, the company said.

Ipswich Detective Inspector Mick Niland said authorities were not aware of any increase in glue sniffing in the district, however police were willing to follow up on any information received from the public.

The effects of sniffing

Immediate: Nausea, diarrhoea

Bad breath

Nosebleeds, bloodshot eyes and sores around the mouth and nose.

Short term: Loss of control of movements or speech, convulsions

Breathing problems

Long-term: Tremors, tiredness, loss of sense of smell and hearing, anaemia, irregular heart beat, liver and kidney damage.

Memory loss, reduced cognitive ability

Depression, paranoia