News this week that some of the country's prominent retail chains are voluntarily restricting the sale of butane-based products to minors is welcome given the recent harrowing cases of deaths and injuries related to the practice of "huffing" - inhaling solvents to get a "high".
A report released last week by Chief Coroner Judge Neil MacLean showed 63 New Zealanders had died from inhaling butane since 2000 - most of them under the age of 24 and the youngest 12. And there have been horrific injuries, including to two Mosgiel teenagers who were badly burned in July after the lpg bottles from which they were allegedly huffing exploded.
Mitre 10 led the charge, in the wake of the death of a teenager in a Christchurch park last month, and some of its stores in Christchurch, Ashburton, Timaru, Oamaru, Wanaka and Dunedin are refusing sales of butane-based products to people under the age of 18.
Placemakers followed suit this week with restrictions across its stores nationwide, and other national retailers are reviewing their policies.
Placemakers' chief executive, John Beveridge, called on smaller retailers to do the same, saying: "We all have a social responsibility".
The moves have been praised by Judge MacLean, the police, the New Zealand Drug Foundation executive director Ross Bell and Associate Minister of Health Peter Dunne, who had asked retailers to take more responsibility in the wake of Judge MacLean's report.
While, sadly, the self-imposed sales restrictions may not stop all substance-abuse deaths - or even those related to butane-based products alone - it is a breath of fresh air to see retailers leading the way in terms of corporate responsibility without waiting for legislation to force them to act.
But Mr Bell said the Government must step up as well: "We can't put it on retailers to take all responsibility for this. The Coroner highlighted that in his report showing that there have been occasions where the Government has dropped the ball by ignoring previous coroners' reports. A lot of agencies, including ourselves, have been complacent."
And it is a tragic fact that complacency has perhaps cost lives. As far back as 2004, Jim Anderton unsuccessfully tried to get Parliament to include regulations on substances like butane gas and aerosols, under his Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill (No 3).
Judge MacLean said coroners' recommendations through the years regarding huffing - including a public education campaign, nationwide substance abuse centres, specialist drug training for teachers as well as regulating products that could be abused - have prompted little or no response from government agencies. He has called on the Social Development Ministry to lead a cross-agency approach to cut the number of deaths and, in the wake of his report last week, the Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee also repeated its calls for a combined approach.
In addition to sales and access restrictions to butane-based products, committee chairman Nick Baker said it recommended educating providers of support services to young people, community education strategies, strengthening individual knowledge and skills among youth, and providing access to quality health care.
And it seems finally Parliament may be forced to review the issue.
Labour's associate health spokesman, Palmerston North MP Iain Lees-Galloway, is preparing a draft Bill on butane sales restrictions and hopes to have it in next month's member's Bill ballot if his caucus supports it. (Of course, cynics might believe with retailers voluntarily restricting their products, the hard work has already been done, making it easier for parties to support legislation on the issue.)Cynicism aside, the moves are to be commended at all levels - although it seems clear there is still work to be done, particularly around educating youngsters on the dangers involved with "huffing". For even with restrictions on sales, many butane-based products are commonly found in the home.
Which means parents, teachers and community members also have a role to play and responsibilities to protect youngsters wherever possible. For the older among us, of course, comes personal responsibility. But do we need to mention that again?
