Earlier this year, Elders, council, community leaders, government workers and families took to Cherbourg streets, creating a sea of yellow as they called for an end to petrol sniffing.
Their Snuff Out Sniffing (SOS) campaign — a true grassroots initiative, devised and implemented by local parents — answered what supporters say is the young people’s call for help.
SOS campaign coordinator Bruce Simpson shakes his head when thinking how long chroming has gone on in Cherbourg.
“It’s terribly sad,” he says.
“Chroming is not our culture. It’s an aspect of Western culture that has influenced our young people — and it’s killing us.
“There are some older people but mostly they’re teenagers. We’ve also seen kids as young as seven sniffing.”
Cherbourg’s SOS initiative has provided support, education and discouragement. A parent support group has provided families with a sense of solidarity rather than isolation, a place to share experiences and concerns.
“Parents have taken responsibility. It’s their kids who are affected,” Bruce explains.
A safe place was set up where young people can chill out without the risk, or temptation, of drugs. Primary school students throughout the South Burnett have been targeted with an education campaign, and a night foot patrol of parents has taken to Cherbourg streets to break up gang activity.
“The key was a holistic approach. We had to stop the ‘blame game’ and come up with a community response and solution that addresses a whole range of needs and reasons,” Bruce says.
Eight months later, Bruce says, fewer young people are sniffing.
“A couple of sniffers are still blatant but we’re encouraged by news that 10chronic sniffers, who ended up in the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre for small offences while high, have remained clean since exiting the detention centre.”
Woorabinda and Townsville have voiced interest in Cherbourg’s rescue approach, heeding the SOS.
It’s a winnin’ rap…
In winning the 2010 Youth Week Live It Now competition, Mount Isa teens Richard Petersen, 19, Ian Wilde,16, Liam Age, 15, Jordan O’Keefe, 15, and Walon McDonald, 14 — known as The Little Homies — rapped about the dangers of petrol sniffing and other substance abuse. Here’s some of what they have to say:
Stop sniffing, stop drunken, stop taken drugs
Turn your life around
Brings a tear to my eye when I see my mob die
Every single day that will pass me by
Not in vain though never again
Never again we can say his name
Lived by the can, do you understand?
Nothing today can bring him back, man
Although he didn’t mean it, it wasn’t his plan
He didn’t mean to give his life to that can
If there was only something that I could do
I was his mate, I was one of his crew
Every single day you know I’m thinking of you bro
I’m every single day, you know, I’m thinking
You get you life on track
Get your head out of the can, take your life back
Because you know you can never be too late
Don’t hesitate, don’t look back
I can’t lose another mate
Drop the can, this is not your fate
Be a man, get your head out of the can
Stop wasting your life…
Listen to this song at www.youth.qld.gov.au
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License