Opal (fuel)

Opal is a variety of low-aromatic 91 RON petrol developed in 2005 by BP Australia to combat the rising use of petrol as an inhalant in remote indigenous Australian communities.

A 2010 senate report showed that the introduction of Opal in 106 communities across remote and regional Australia had led to a 70% drop in petrol sniffing in those communities.

Typical unleaded petrol contains 25% aromatics, such as benzene, toluene, ortho-xylene and para-xylene. In contrast, Opal contains only 5% aromatics, which means that it has less of the toluene and other solvents which produce the intoxication (or "high") that inhalant users are seeking. The Australian Government subsidizes Opal's provision and restricts regular sniff-able unleaded in some remote communities.

Prior to the introduction of Opal, Comgas (a brand of the aviation fuel avgas) has been used in many communities to discourage use of fuel as an inhalant. Unlike Opal, however, Comgas contains tetra-ethyl lead (TEL), a harmful substance that is absorbed into the bodies of inhalant users (and anyone who breathes the exhaust, even unintentionally) .

See also

• Indigenous Australians

External links

• Manufacturer site
• Can new non-toxic products eliminate petrol sniffing behaviours in remote Indigenous communities? (PDF) Brett Badger, BA, RMIT University, June 2005 (large bibliography)