Dangerous Substances (LPG Cylinder Labelling) Amendment Bill

Introduction and First Reading

The Hon. C. BONAROS (17:00): Obtained leave and introduced a bill for an act to amend the Dangerous Substances Act 1979. Read a first time.

Second Reading

The Hon. C. BONAROS (17:00): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I rise to introduce the Dangerous Substances (LPG Cylinder Labelling) Amendment Bill 2020, a bill that sadly has its genesis with the recent and very tragic death of Port Lincoln teenager Patrick 'Paddy' Ryan, aged just 16 years. In honour of Paddy and his family, I am calling the proposed legislation Paddy's Law.

It is heartbreaking that a loving son, a devoted brother, a loyal friend and a very valued young member of the community had to lose his life for these laws to be introduced. Paddy died on 9 February this year while attending a party and inhaling liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from a barbecue gas cylinder, a common household item that can be found in hundreds of thousands of sheds and backyards across Australia. What started out as a teenage prank with a group of mates had catastrophic consequences for Paddy, his family and his friends.

I have spoken to Paddy's father, Adrian, who speaks glowingly of his beloved son, who sadly made one silly mistake that ultimately cost him his life. Paddy was a very popular year 11 student at Port Lincoln High School. His parents moved their family, including Paddy, his brother and two sisters, to Port Lincoln from remote Central Australia when Paddy was in primary school to improve their children's educational and social opportunities. According to his loving parents, Paddy was an outstanding sportsperson, playing football for Marble Range, and was a gun basketballer too. He was friendly and caring with a great group of friends.

In year 7, he was buddied to a year 3 primary school student to help her with her schooling. On the morning of his death, Paddy had been swimming at the marina bridge. This young girl was there and she was very upset about an injured pigeon she saw there. In typical Paddy spirit, he spent about 20 minutes trying to catch it for her in an attempt to calm her distress. A few days later, the girl's mother contacted Paddy's parents to tell them this story and tell them how appreciative her daughter was. The girl was devastated when she learned Paddy had died.

According to his devastated family, Paddy was a great son and brother, a good sportsman, a good teammate and a good community member who is greatly missed and loved by all, especially his family. He was a good kid but, on this one fateful night at a party, Paddy made a bad choice. He is not alone in that. I am sure all of us in this chamber at some point in our lives have made some bad choices, whether that be at age 16, 12, 19, 21 or older, but fortunately for us they did not have such tragic consequences.

As South Australian Network of Drug and Alcohol Services Chief Executive, Michael White, has said, risk-taking is a big part of adolescence, particularly for young males. Sadly, Paddy's death has highlighted that inhaling LPG, known as 'huffing', is more widespread than any of us, including Paddy's family, knew. You may have seen Paddy's dad, Adrian, in the media in recent months, pleading for Paddy's death not to be in vain and for this problem, something he has since discovered is prevalent among young people, to be addressed.

Since his son's death, Adrian has been told that huffing is a popular activity for young adults and teenagers. He has been told that it is extremely common with young people aged 15 to 21, and if they have not had a go at it themselves they have witnessed people doing it. That is frightening indeed. The literature tells us that nearly a quarter of people who try inhalants will die from it. It is serious and it is deadly. Even first-time inhalant users in perfect health are at grave risk. Death is caused by heart failure, and this can happen within minutes of inhalation.

Even if not fatal upon first use, it immediately causes permanent damage to the brain and the body. Paddy's family and friends want to do absolutely anything and everything they can to ensure this never happens to another young person again. They have spent their time since his death advocating for various authorities to do something—anything. Paddy's parents have said that they have to find some purpose in their son's death, and this is it. This bill is intended to do just that: to bring about one small change that could prevent more deaths like Paddy's.

The bill requires a person selling or supplying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in South Australia to ensure the cylinder in which the gas is sold or supplied, or to which it is transferred at the point of sale or supply, is labelled with a warning label, stating that the gas is LPG and that LPG may cause injury or death if inhaled. It means that sellers or suppliers of gas will need to affix this label to all LPG cylinders they sell or fill. The cost burden of this initiative is extremely minor and over time all LPG cylinders in SA, even those stored in our backyards and sheds, will have this label affixed.

The form of the label is prescribed in the bill and is consistent with Australian standards for labelling of this kind. It is plain and simple. Yes, it is an obligation on sellers and refillers, but it is potentially very important in terms of warnings. It is also true that, on its own, a warning label may not stop someone who is determined to inhale LPG, but, just as we have seen on cigarette packets and at gambling venues, warnings like these may just plant a seed of doubt in the mind that will prevent a person undertaking this sort of risky behaviour.

When we had a very big problem with inhaling petrol in some of our remote areas of South Australia, the federal and state governments, and the local communities where the problem was raging, implemented an incredibly effective initiative, mandating the sale of only Opal fuel in these areas. Inhaling Opal fuel did not provide the high that unleaded petrol did. We saw a massive drop in numbers of petrol sniffing, from 200 to almost zero, from that initiative alone. Imagine the improved social, educational and health outcomes in future years still to be realised from that decisive response.

The National Inhalant Abuse Taskforce final report, dated November 2005, noted that a 1985 Senate Select Committee on Volatile Substance Fumes concluded that, on balance, the evidence in favour of warning labels outweighed the evidence against them. The report also noted that the Aerosol Association of Australia had voluntarily adopted a warning label on all of its products, which states, 'Warning: intentional misuse by deliberately concentrating and inhaling contents can be harmful or fatal.'

I have already initiated discussions on my proposed new legislation with my federal Centre Alliance colleagues about the prospect of them introducing similar laws nationally. A petition has been circulated across South Australia to call for warning labels on LPG cylinders. Paddy's cousin, Jaimee Luck, started an online petition that has over 2,000 signatures. As Paddy's parents, Adrian and Josie, say: if a label makes one young kid stop and think twice and maybe choose not to inhale gas, then it will have succeeded. Adrian believes that Paddy would not have done what he did that fateful night had he known the significant danger he was placing himself in by inhaling the LPG. While these laws should have been introduced years ago, they will nonetheless raise a crucial awareness of the dangers of inhaling LPG every time a gas bottle is sold or refilled.

Eight hundred people attended Paddy's funeral. He touched many lives in his short 16 years, and has left a huge hole in the lives of his family, community and friends. While it is obviously too late for Paddy, hopefully the warning labels will save other lives and save other families from having to go through the pain and hurt that Paddy's family lives with every day. We know we cannot stop young people making bad choices but, in labelling these products with what their potential health consequences are, there is a chance that one or more of them may say no.

Of course, there are other very important initiatives—like education and awareness highlighting the dangers of huffing—that are also desperately needed. Parents also need to talk to their children about it. I am the aunt of a group of teenage kids, and every time they say they are going out I am constantly warning them about nangs, about LPG, about mixing energy drinks with caffeine or Panadol, about anything that shows its face in the media that I think they could potentially consider a bit of harmless fun and engaging with their friends. I plead with them to take seriously the warnings and risks this so-called harmless fun can result in.

I have written to John Gardner, the state's education minister, to ask that he include huffing in drug and alcohol awareness programs in public schools. It would be even better if LPG could not be inhaled from gas bottles at all, and I hope that new LPG gas bottle fittings are developed to completely prevent inhalation.

However, for now I have committed to Paddy's family and friends to do whatever we can now: that is, ensure that all LPG cylinders carry at least the warning label, as is the sole intention of this bill before you. I am confident all sides of politics will support this very important and potentially life-saving legislation as a priority, so that the new laws can come into force as a matter of urgency.

Adrian, Paddy's dad, is under no illusion—and nor am I—that kids will be kids, that young adults will be young adults, that no matter how innocently or otherwise they will take part in dares, they will inhale helium from balloons, they will try a nang, they will try drugs, they will get drunk, they will try a cigarette. They will do all manner of things, especially when they are with a group of friends and they are just trying to have some fun.

Adrian also knows that what starts out as a bit of fun can very quickly end in tragedy. If one of those kids or young adults, or even older adults, has reason to pause and think about their actions it could be life-saving. If these proposed new laws save just one life, that is one life saved. With those words, I commend the bill to members of the Legislative Council and hope it finds swift passage through here to the House of Assembly.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. I.K. Hunter.