UNDER HER NOSE

KID CHROMES AS CARER PLAYS ON PHONE

A CHILD sits on a park bench in school uniform, chroming for hours before an ambulance is called by the carer who let it unfold in front of her.

This shocking scene was captured in photographs by a concerned Mt Louisa father who could not believe his eyes as a woman scrolled through her phone while a 15-year-old boy got high for three hours.

“I was gobsmacked,” the resident, who did not want to be named, told the Townsville

Bulletin.

The resident, who lives in a nearby street, watched the incident take place from about 5pm to 8.30pm on Tuesday at a park near Crestbrook Dr.

He pulled out his camera and snapped the confronting scene.

The boy, who was wearing a school uniform, arrived at the park under supervision of a woman who was driving a car.

In the three-hour period, the resident said the woman who was supervising the child used her mobile phone as the boy chromed just 1m away from her.

His back was turned to her and he was using a large aerosol can.

The potentially deadly activity was only stopped when an ambulance arrived, with no lights and sirens, and assessed the 15-year-old.

A spokeswoman from Queensland Ambulance Service confirmed paramedics were called to the park for a “medical incident” about 8.30pm on February 25.

The boy was assessed but not taken to hospital.

The resident had often seen discarded aerosol cans in the park, but said this was the first time he had ever seen such a shocking scene.

“This needs to be brought to attention,” he said.

Thuringowa MP and vocal antichroming advocate, Aaron Harper was shocked by the incident, saying the guardian should have stepped in.

“It’s an abhorrent practice and it’s killing our young people,” he said.

In his former career as a paramedic, Mr Harper said he was confronted with the situation often.

Under Queensland Police law, chroming is not illegal. A spokesman from Queensland Police Service said no penalty could be enforced on the woman, despite a history of chroming deaths.

Child Protection and Investigation Unit officer-in-charge Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Miles said chroming was happening regularly around the city, with police encountering a daily interaction with someone effected by the substance.

Det Snr Sgt Miles said juveniles took advantage of the cheap and easily accessible aerosols, but it was often hard for police to detect whether they were affected.

“The problem we have is there is no definite indicators, it’s not like alcohol where the effects can be long lasting,” he said.

“The effects can be very short lasting,” he said.

Rexona’s parent company, Unilever Australia was “deeply concerned” about the devastating impact the misuse of aerosol products had on young people.

“Among other measures, all of our products are labelled with prominent warnings and guidelines on how to use aerosols safely,” a spokeswoman said. “As we discussed at the recent Queensland government roundtable on volatile substance misuse, this is an enormously complex social issue affecting the entire aerosol industry and it requires a community-wide approach.”

Child Safety Minister Di Farmer and the Department of Education were contacted for comment.