Description

The Committee was required to inquire into the factors contributing to the inhalation of volatile substances; the adequacy of existing strategies for dealing with this; best practice strategies to address the issue, including education and voluntary initiatives; and options to reduce the inhalation of volatile substances and prevent first time inhalation. The Committee’s report makes recommendations in relation to these matters, highlighting the need for the response to volatile substance abuse to be led at a national level, with the states adopting national protocols and implementing state based coordinating committees. The specific recommendations of the report include recommendations relating to the law, supply reduction, research and evaluation, the establishment of a Victorian Volatile Substance Abuse Coordinating Committee, the development of a local government based Youth Inhalant Response Network, volatile solvent education, information and training provision, responses for specific groups including Indigenous people, the media, product development and modification, and funding.