Pubdate: Thu, 11 May 2000 Source: West Australian (Australia) Copyright: 2000 West Australian Newspapers Limited Contact: +61 8 94823830 Website: http://thewest.com.au/redirect.shtml Author: Wendy Pryer FEARS FOR YOUNG SNIFFERS MORE than 800 young people picked up in the city by police last year were high on dangerous solvents such as spray paint. The Perth police district chief, Supt Ron Carey, said yesterday 70 per cent of the 1200 juveniles picked up by the district's juvenile aid group and referred to Family and Children's Services last year were sniffing the paint thinner, toluene, and spray paint. WA Drug Abuse Strategy Office executive director Terry Murphy said accurate figures on abuse of solvents throughout WA were difficult to get but hundreds of children were abusing the legal solvent substances. A joint strategy office and Office of Aboriginal Health task force has been set up to develop a strategy to combat use of solvents in WA. The strategy is due to be released before the end of the year. The only survey so far shows 9 per cent of school-aged children in WA used solvents in the past month and 23 per cent of children had tried them at least once. Mr Murphy said the vast majority of those children did not go on to abuse solvents, which can cause serious brain damage and result in death. Supt Carey said the children, who were as young as 10, behaved irrationally after sniffing the substances usually concealed in empty drink bottles. They committed anti-social crimes, such as assaults and disorderly conduct. It was a problem in some remote areas of WA but local policing strategies had had a much bigger impact in those areas. An agreement by retailers in Midland to restrict access to paint thinners and other solvents had been effective. Supt Carey urged people who saw children carrying clear drink bottles to contact police. The State Government revealed this week that it will introduce two separate pieces of legislation this year to try to prevent children getting hold of the substances. Police Minister Kevin Prince's Simple Offences Bill will target adults who sell solvents to children knowing they will be abused. Justice Minister Peter Foss will put a Bill to Cabinet soon for final approval which will introduce heavy penalties, including jail, for people who take solvent substances on to dry Aboriginal communities in the North-West of the State. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk