‘Stopping sniffing is our responsibility’: Community ownership of a petrol-sniffing program in Arnhem Land

Abstract

This is an account of various unsuccessful efforts to combat petrol-sniffing in River Town, a remote Aboriginal settlement in north Australia. The paper provides insights into the dynamics of remote Aboriginal settlements, highlighting the dissonance between non-Aboriginal service providers and the Aboriginal residents. Attention is drawn to the need for more involvement of Aboriginal people in policy making and program implementation. The paper suggests also that there is a need for adequate resources to resolve the problems experienced in settlements such as River Town.

Key Words:

• remote Aboriginal communities
• petrol-sniffing
• community interventions
• sociology