Managing VSU intoxication is crucial for the safety of community members and the health and wellbeing of those who use volatile substances. However, determining whether a person is intoxicated as a result of inhaling volatile substances can be an issue for police.

As signs of VSU intoxication can appear similar to those of other substances, or even a range of other medical, emotional or psychological conditions, it can be difficult to decide on the most appropriate response based on an initial assessment.

Police are advised to approach those who may have been inhaling volatile substances with caution and not chase or startle them unnecessarily. This is due to the risk of sudden sniffing death that may result from physical exertion or high levels of anxiety while intoxicated. For more information, see the Harms page of this website.

It is also important for police to have a relatively low threshold in the decision-making processes concerning whether to refer those who have been using volatile substances to medical assistance (Australasian Centre for Policing Research, 2004), as acute VSU intoxication can result in a loss of consciousness, seizures or convulsions leading to overdose and death.

VSU intoxication reduces inhibitions and impairs judgement in a similar way to alcohol. Therefore, the risk of death or injury from accidents, falls, drowning, burns and explosions is high. For more information about the effects of intoxication and how to manage intoxicated individuals, see the Intoxication page of this website.

Intoxication management in the custodial setting also requires the understanding of potential withdrawal symptoms to ensure medical assistance is sought when needed. For more information about withdrawal effects, see the Effects page of this website.

To reduce the risk of injury or death, police are able to confiscate volatile substance products and take intoxicated people to a safe place under provisions of the Protective Custody Act 2000. For more information about the Protective Custody Act, see the The law page of this website.

In some settings, options for a safe place to take young people may be limited. This highlights the importance of establishing local protocols for intoxication management in conjunction with local services.

An integral part of any community response to VSU is a range of measures aimed at limiting access to volatile substances, particularly to young people. Police have a key role in supply reduction through the policing of illegal supplies but can also play a vital role in the restriction of availability from sources such as retail, industry and tourists.

Unlawful supply

In Western Australia, it is against the law to ‘supply intoxicants to people likely to abuse them’ under Section 206 of the Western Australian Criminal Code 1913. For more information about Section 206 of the WA Criminal Code, see the The law page of this website.

This may include the policing of illegal supplies of unleaded petrol to remote communities and towns in WA where unleaded petrol has been replaced with low aromatic fuel as a supply reduction strategy. For more information about low aromatic fuel, see the Commonwealth Government's Low Aromatic Fuel website. 

Some Aboriginal communities in WA also have by-laws prohibiting the possession, use and supply of volatile substances under the Aboriginal Community Act 1979. Therefore, the enforcement of by-laws is a further requirement of police, where applicable. For more information about the Aboriginal Community Act, see the The law page of this website.

Coordinated efforts

There are coordinated, multi-agency VSU strategies in place to address VSU in some regions and towns in WA. These include a range of supply reduction strategies to raise the awareness of supply sources of volatile substances. For more information on what is happening in your region or town, or in other regions of WA, see the Regional response page of this website.

Such strategies include those aimed at retailers; industry and contractors; and tourists. They involve the distribution of information resources (Retailer's Kit, Industry Kit, Contractor's brochure and the Tourist brochure), which contain ideas to assist them with their role in reducing access to volatile substances in the community.

Police often liaise locally with retailers and industry, contractors and tourists, advising on theft reduction, safe storage and transportation and providing timely responses to in-store incidents of aggressive behaviour in response to sale refusal. This liaison is a valuable support to the retailer, industry and tourist strategies.

For more information about these strategies, see the following pages:  

• Retailers
• Industry and contractors
• Tourists

There are a range of community safety strategies that can be implemented to contribute to the reduction of VSU-related harm. One of these is the use of routine patrolling; both generalised and targeted patrolling, depending on the location. This routine patrolling serves to:

• disperse people who have been using, who might otherwise become involved in incidents
• enable police to pick up minors and take them home or to a safe place to prevent crime and preserve their safety
• enhance the safety, and perceptions of safety, for the community
• prevent vandalism in the community, of private property, and other crimes.

(Gray et al. 2006 cited in Nicholas, 2007)

Crucial to such a strategy is the building of positive relationships with people who use volatile substances and the community. Having a strong understanding of VSU and related issues, as well as effective ways of working with young people and/or Aboriginal people (in Aboriginal communities), can promote good relationships and resultant behaviours. For this reason, training and education for police about VSU is important.

For information about VSU training opportunities, contact the Volatile Substances Program at the Mental Health Commission.

Coordination

Facilitating interagency coordination, cooperation and support is an important aspect of a VSU response for which police have joint responsibility (Nicholas, 2007).

There are a number of strategies police can follow to improve interagency coordination and cooperation. These include:

• establishing formal memoranda of understanding between agencies regarding their respective roles
• regularly attending inter-agency meetings to exchange information and explore ways of enhancing current responses
• providing support to community groups also seeking to address VSU
• taking a lead role in the development of new initiatives – including calling meetings to discuss VSU and to canvas views on possible responses.

(Nicholas, 2007)

There are a number of coordinated, multi-agency VSU strategies in place to address VSU in some regions and towns in WA. For more information about what is happening in your region or town, or in other regions of WA, see the Regional response page of this website.

If there is no coordinated VSU strategy in your town or region, you can establish and formalise a collaborative approach with other agencies involved in responding to VSU. For more information about how to do so, see the Responding to VSU in the community page of this website or contact the Volatile Substance Program at the Mental Health Commission.

Engagement

Community engagement activities that police have joint responsibility for include involvement with the provision of diversion activities for young people including camps, sporting activities or cultural activities (Australasian Centre for Policing Research, 2004). Keeping young people engaged is a crucial demand reduction strategy as boredom is often cited as a reason for VSU, particularly in rural or remote locations.

Through community engagement activities, the development of positive relationships between young people and the broader community will be encouraged.

Police are often called upon to comment on VSU issues in the media, in the context of public concern for community safety. It is important to be aware of issues related to the responsible reporting of VSU to avoid inadvertently inflaming the situation by identifying products misused or methods of use, which may lead to copycat behaviour.

For more information about managing media in relation to VSU, see the VSU and the media page of this website.