Gold Coast teens reveal why they started chroming and how it affected them

A group of Gold Coast teens have given powerful insight into why they started chroming in a confronting video.

“Thrill” and “no fear” are among reasons Gold Coast teens give for chroming.

A group of juveniles have given honest accounts of what led them to sniffing solvents and chemicals in a powerful video made at the The Street University in Southport.

“I was like ‘ew, I would never chrome, that’s disgusting’,” one said.

“Two months later, catch me in the middle of Southport with a can in my hand.”

Another spoke about how chroming made him feel.

“When you are chroming you have no fear, I just do what comes to mind,” he said.

Another talks of getting visions.

Screenshots from a video produced by Gold Coast teens about their experience with chroming. Picture: Supplied

“I started yanking a bit more and I went a bit crazy,” he said.

One of the youths said the reason teens chose chroming was because it was cheap and easy to steal.

The trailer video was produced as a part of a Voicebox project at the Street University.

The Street University is a drop-in style centre with programs for at-risk teens, including those convicted of crimes, battling substance abuse, struggling with homelessness or dealing with a bad home-life.

Screenshots from a video produced by Gold Coast teens about their experience with chroming. Picture: Supplied

It is just one of many projects the drop-in centre have for kids.

A group of teens, helped by graffiti artist Mystery, recently finished the largest mural in Southport.

The mural, on the wall of the Conveyancing Monkey office, was designed by Mystery but the teens all contributed.

Ted Noffs Foundation CEO Matt Noffs, who runs Street University, said the teens were first taught the art and not allowed to approach the wall until they had mastered it.

Street University also teaches at-risk kids how to record music, basic cookings skills and encourages sport.

“This gives young people a voice and it absolutely, bet your bottom dollar, reduces vandalism,” he said.

The mural on Scarborough Street painted by teens at Street University.

“Why? Because they feel like they are being listened to.”

The program is also about more than art.

“It’s engaging young people in things they want to do like sports, music, art and then we bring them into treatment,” he said.

“There’s no use having counsellors behind a desk just waiting for kids to turn up to be arrested or to be in the hospital system.”

The mural on Scarborough Street painted by teens at Street University.

Gold Coast Police help fund the programs as well as referring some at-risk teens.

Gold Coast Police Child Protection and Investigation Unit Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Aubort said children were often escaping or bored when they turned to substance abuse.
“Let’s face it, if you could replace some negative behaviour with a positive behaviour that ticks those human conditions in a positive way then you are on the winner,” he said.

He said with the mural it allowed the teens a chance to get a new skill.

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