Oil giant Shell will join BP in an expanded roll out of Opal fuel in regional and remote regions.
Shell will be part of a new agreement with the federal government and BP to supply the Top End, The Kimberley region, central and South Australia with a low aromatic alternative.
In a statement to NITV, Shell says that it has gained "insights" on the difficulties that petrol sniffing causes, and the company is "hopeful the further expansion of low aromatic fuel will help stem this problem."
Low aromatic fuel (also known as Opal fuel) is said to discourage petrol sniffing as it doesn't have the aromatic fumes that give users a 'high'.
Under the new agreement, the supply of regular unleaded petrol will be replaced by non-sniffable Opal fuel in identified problem areas.
Inhaling petrol can cause major damage to the body: vomiting, disorientation and aggression are common in the short term, but the long term effects are much worse. The poisonous chemicals gradually destroy the brain, in particular the part that controls movement and balance.
A 90 per cent drop in sniffing has been recorded in communities where Opal fuel has already been rolled out.
Indigenous Health Minister Warren Snowdown says he has little doubt that a new player in the market will contribute directly to reducing the habit in regional and remote areas.
In the lead up to the decision, several petrol station owners expressed concerns about the mandatory roll-out of Opal fuel in remote parts of Australia. They claimed that motorists didn't want their cars running on low aromatic fuel.
But BP says the fuel doesn't do any damage to engines, it won't cost consumers any more than existing petrol and it even burns more cleanly than regular unleaded, helping reduce air pollution.
The introduction of the fuel will begin late next year and will be distributed to 39 new sites.
