{"id":"volatile-substance-abuse-prevention-regulations-2006","name":"VOLATILE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION REGULATIONS 2006","slug":"volatile-substance-abuse-prevention-regulations-2006","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"nt","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":179197,"registerId":"nt-volatile-substance-abuse-prevention-regulations-2006-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"VOLATILE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION REGULATIONS 2006","content":"NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA\nVOLATILE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION REGULATIONS 2006\nAs in force at 1 July 2021\nTable of provisions\nPart 1 Preliminary matters\n1 Citation ............................................................................................ 1\n2 Commencement .............................................................................. 1\n3 Definitions ........................................................................................ 1\n4 Forms .............................................................................................. 1\nPart 2 Preventing inhalation and protecting\nhealth and safety\nDivision 1 Records of searches, seizures and\napprehensions\n5 Application of Division ..................................................................... 2\n6 Records of search and seizure ........................................................ 2\n7 Records of apprehension................................................................. 2\nDivision 2 Holding apprehended child in police cell\n8 When apprehended child may be held in police cell ........................ 3\n9 Approved carer ................................................................................ 4\n10 Emergency response plan ............................................................... 4\nPart 3 Treatment warrants\n11 Form of application for treatment warrant ........................................ 4\n12 Making application for treatment warrant by telephone ................... 4\n13 Form of treatment warrant ............................................................... 5\n14 Issuing treatment warrant on application by telephone.................... 5\nSchedule\nENDNOTES\n\n\n\nNORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA\n____________________\nAs in force at 1 July 2021\n____________________\nVOLATILE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION REGULATIONS 2006\nRegulations under the Volatile Substance Abuse Prevention Act 2005\nPart 1 Preliminary matters\n1 Citation\nThese Regulations may be cited as the Volatile Substance Abuse\nPrevention Regulations 2006.\n2 Commencement\nThese Regulations come into operation on the commencement of\nthe Volatile Substance Abuse Prevention Act 2005.\n3 Definitions\nIn these Regulations:\napprehended child means a child taken to a police station under\nsection 22(3) of the Act to be held in protective custody.\napproved carer, see regulation 9.\nemergency response plan, see regulation 10.\nlocal authority means a local authority established under\nsection 76 of the Local Government Act 2019.\n4 Forms\nA reference in these Regulations to a form by number is a\nreference to the form of that number in the Schedule.\n\nPart 2 Preventing inhalation and protecting health and safety\nDivision 1 Records of searches, seizures and apprehensions\nVolatile Substance Abuse Prevention Regulations 2006 2\nPart 2 Preventing inhalation and protecting health\nand safety\nDivision 1 Records of searches, seizures and apprehensions\n5 Application of Division\nThis Division applies to the keeping of records of actions taken\nunder Part 2, Division 2 or 3 of the Act, as required by section 12 of\nthe Act.\n6 Records of search and seizure\n(1) The records of actions in relation to a person referred to in\nsection 13(1) of the Act must include the following information:\n(a) a brief description of the actions;\n(b) if the actions are taken by a police officer – the officer's name,\nrank and number;\n(c) if the actions are taken by an authorised person – the\nauthorised person's name;\n(d) the date, time and place of the actions;\n(e) the age (or approximate age) of the person;\n(f) the gender of the person;\n(g) the details of any volatile substance given to or seized by the\npolice officer or authorised person.\n(2) The records may include other information relevant to the actions.\n7 Records of apprehension\n(1) The records of actions in relation to an apprehended person must\ninclude the following information:\n(a) a brief description of the actions;\n(b) if the actions are taken by a police officer – the officer's name,\nrank and number;\n(c) if the actions are taken by an authorised person – the\nauthorised person's name;\n(d) the date, time and place of the apprehension;\n\nPart 2 Preventing inhalation and protecting health and safety\nDivision 2 Holding apprehended child in police cell\nVolatile Substance Abuse Prevention Regulations 2006 3\n(e) the name (if given) and age (or approximate age) of the\napprehended person;\n(f) the gender of the apprehended person;\n(g) if the apprehended person is released under section 21(1)(a)\nof the Act into the care of a person (the carer) at a place of\nsafety – the name of the carer and the address of the place;\n(h) if the apprehended person is released under section 21(1)(b)\nof the Act into a responsible adult's care – the name, address\nand other relevant particulars of the responsible adult;\n(i) if section 21(2) of the Act applies – whether a parent or\nguardian of the apprehended person has been informed and,\nif not, the efforts made to inform a parent or guardian;\n(j) if the apprehended person is released under section 22(2) of\nthe Act – the time and place of the release;\n(k) if section 22(4) of the Act applies – whether a parent or\nguardian of the apprehended person has been informed and,\nif not, the efforts made to inform a parent or guardian.\n(2) The records may include other information relevant to the actions.\nDivision 2 Holding apprehended child in police cell\n8 When apprehended child may be held in police cell\n(1) For section 24 of the Act, an apprehended child may be held in\nprotective custody inside a cell at a police station only if all of the\nfollowing circumstances apply:\n(a) the police station is in a council area;\n(b) the apprehended child resides in the council area;\n(c) a member of the community council for the council area has\nbeen consulted by the responsible officer for the apprehended\nchild and has approved the child being held inside a cell at the\npolice station;\n(d) the apprehended child is under the direct care and supervision\nof an approved carer while being held inside the cell;\n(e) there is an emergency response plan for the police station in\nrelation to an apprehended child being held in a cell.\n\nPart 3 Treatment warrants\nVolatile Substance Abuse Prevention Regulations 2006 4\n(2) If the apprehended child resides in a part of the council area for\nwhich there is a local authority, the reference in subregulation (1)(c)\nto a member of the community council includes a reference to a\nmember of the local authority.\n9 Approved carer\n(1) For regulation 8(1)(d), an approved carer for a police station in a\ncouncil area is a person approved by:\n(a) the community council for the council area; and\n(b) the police officers stationed at the police station.\n(2) A person who is an approved carer must:\n(a) be a fit and proper person to care for and supervise an\napprehended child; and\n(b) have the necessary knowledge or qualifications required to\ncare for an apprehended child; and\n(c) have the ability to take action under an emergency response\nplan if required to do so.\n10 Emergency response plan\nFor regulation 8(1)(e), an emergency response plan for a police\nstation in a council area is a plan of the actions to be taken by a\nresponsible officer and an approved carer at the police station if\nthere is a medical, psychological or other type of emergency\naffecting an apprehended child.\nPart 3 Treatment warrants\n11 Form of application for treatment warrant\nFor section 41A(2) of the Act, an application for a treatment warrant\nmust be in accordance with Form 1.\n12 Making application for treatment warrant by telephone\nFor section 41A(3)(b) of the Act, a person who applies to a Local\nCourt Judge by telephone for a treatment warrant must do so by\ntelephoning the Local Court registry nearest to the person.\n\nPart 3 Treatment warrants\nVolatile Substance Abuse Prevention Regulations 2006 5\n13 Form of treatment warrant\nFor section 41B(2) of the Act, a treatment warrant must be in\naccordance with Form 2.\n14 Issuing treatment warrant on application by telephone\n(1) If Local Court Judge issues a treatment warrant on application\nmade by telephone:\n(a) the Judge must complete and sign the warrant (the original\nwarrant), inform the applicant for the warrant by telephone of\nits terms, and record on the original warrant the reasons for\nissuing it; and\n(b) the applicant for the warrant must:\n(i) complete 2 copies of a form of treatment warrant in the\nterms provided by the Judge; and\n(ii) write on each copy the name of the Judge and the date\nand time of issue of the original warrant; and\n(iii) forward one copy to the Judge.\n(2) On receiving the copy, the Judge must:\n(a) compare it with the original warrant; and\n(b) if the copy is in substance identical to the original warrant, the\ncopy has the same authority as the original warrant.\n\nSchedule\nVolatile Substance Abuse Prevention Regulations 2006 6\nSchedule\nregulation 4\nFORM 1\nregulation 11\nNORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA\nVolatile Substance Abuse Prevention Act 2005\nsection 41A(2)\nAPPLICATION FOR TREATMENT WARRANT\nI, (name) ……………………………………………………………………………… ,\n*an assessor *an authorised officer *the Chief Health Officer *a delegate of\nthe Chief Health Officer *a legal practitioner, apply for a treatment warrant in\nrelation to the person at risk specified in paragraph (a), and say on oath the\nfollowing:\n(a) on (date) …………………………… the Court made a treatment order in\nrelation to (name) ……………………………………..(the person at risk);\n(b) the treatment order will be in force until (date) …………………...……… ;\n(c) a true copy of the treatment order is attached to this application;\n(d) I believe the person at risk has not participated in the following\ncomponent(s) of the treatment program in accordance with the\ntreatment order:\n(e) I formed the belief mentioned in paragraph (d) on the following\ngrounds:\nMade at [place] ________________ on [date] ________________\nBy [signature of deponent] _______________________________________\nWitnessed by\nSignature __________________________________________________\nMagistrate\nName __________________________________________________\n* Delete if not applicable\n\nSchedule\nVolatile Substance Abuse Prevention Regulations 2006 7\nFORM 2\nregulation 13\nNORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA\nVolatile Substance Abuse Prevention Act 2005\nsection 41B(2)\nTREATMENT WARRANT\nTO: AN AUTHORISED OFFICER\nI, ………………………………………………………...……………. , a magistrate,\nam satisfied by *information on oath given by *a declaration made by\n(name) …………………………………………… on (date) …………………. , that:\n(1) a treatment order is in force in relation to (name) ………………………….\n…………………………………………………… (the person at risk); and\n(2) the person at risk has failed to participate in the following component(s)\nof the treatment program in accordance with the treatment order:\nYou are authorised to do the following, using reasonable force and, if\nnecessary, reasonable assistance:\n(a) enter, at any reasonable time, a place where you reasonably believe\nthe person at risk may be found;\n(b) search the place in order to find the person;\n(c) remain at the place for as long as you consider reasonably necessary\nto find the person;\n(d) if the person is found – apprehend the person and take the person to\nthe following place to participate in the following component of the\ntreatment program:\nThis warrant remains in force for the lesser of the following periods:\n 30 days after the day on which it is issued;\n until the treatment order ceases to be in force.\nYou must produce this warrant (or a copy of the warrant) to a person at\nthe place where the warrant is executed.\nDated:\nMagistrate\n* Delete if not applicable\n\nENDNOTES\nVolatile Substance Abuse Prevention Regulations 2006 8\nENDNOTES\n1 KEY\nKey to abbreviations\namd = amended od = order\napp = appendix om = omitted\nbl = by-law pt = Part\nch = Chapter r = regulation/rule\ncl = clause rem = remainder\ndiv = Division renum = renumbered\nexp = expires/expired rep = repealed\nf = forms s = section\nGaz = Gazette sch = Schedule\nhdg = heading sdiv = Subdivision\nins = inserted SL = Subordinate Legislation\nlt = long title sub = substituted\nnc = not commenced\n2 LIST OF LEGISLATION\nVolatile Substance Abuse Prevention Regulations (SL No. 7, 2006)\nNotified 9 February 2006\nCommenced 9 February 2006 (r 2, s 2 Volatile Substance Abuse\nPrevention Act 2005 (Act No. 22, 2005) and Gaz S2,\n9 February 2006)\nVolatile Substance Abuse Prevention Amendment Regulations 2009 (SL No. 37, 2009)\nNotified 14 December 2009\nCommenced 22 February 2010 (r 2, s 2 Volatile Substance Abuse\nPrevention Amendment Act 2009 (Act No. 37, 2009) and\n(Gaz G7, 17 February 2010, p 2)\nOaths, Affidavits and Declarations (Consequential Amendments) Act 2010 (Act No. 40,\n2010)\nAssent date 18 November 2010\nCommenced 1 March 2011 (s 2, s 2 Oaths, Affidavits and Declarations\nAct 2010 (Act No. 39, 2010) and Gaz G7, 16 February 2011,\np 4)\nLocal Government Amendment Act 2013 (Act No. 28, 2013)\nAssent date 8 November 2013\nCommenced 8 November 2013\nLocal Court (Related Amendments) Act 2016 (Act No. 8, 2016)\nAssent date 6 April 2016\nCommenced 1 May 2016 (s 2, s 2 Local Court (Repeals and Related\nAmendments) Act 2016 (Act No. 9, 2016) and Gaz S34,\n29 April 2016)\n\nENDNOTES\nVolatile Substance Abuse Prevention Regulations 2006 9\nLocal Government Act 2019 (Act No. 39, 2019)\nAssent date 13 December 2019\nCommenced pt 8.6: 1 July 2022; rem: 1 July 2021 (Gaz S27,\n30 June 2021)\nAmending Legislation\nStatute Law Revision Act 2020 (Act No. 26, 2020)\nAssent date 19 November 2020\nCommenced 20 November 2020 (s 2)\nLocal Government Amendment Act 2021 (Act No. 15, 2021)\nAssent date 25 May 2021\nCommenced 26 May 2021 (s 2)\n3 GENERAL AMENDMENTS\nGeneral amendments of a formal nature (which are not referred to in the table\nof amendments to this reprint) are made by the Interpretation Legislation\nAmendment Act 2018 (Act No. 22, 2018) to: rr 1, 2 and 3 and sch.\n4 LIST OF AMENDMENT\nr 3 sub No. 37, 2009, r 4\namd Act No. 28, 2013, s 61; Act No. 39, 2019, s 370\npt 2\ndiv 2 hdg sub No. 37, 2009, r 5\nr 8 sub No. 37, 2009, r 5\namd Act No. 28, 2013, s 61; Act No. 39, 2019, s 370\nrr 9 – 10 sub No. 37, 2009, r 5\npt 3 hdg sub No. 37, 2009, r 6\nr 11 sub No. 37, 2009, r 6\nr 12 sub No. 37, 2009, r 6\namd Act No. 8, 2016, s 45\nr 13 sub No. 37, 2009, r 6\nr 14 sub No. 37, 2009, r 6\namd Act No. 8, 2016, s 45\nsch amd No. 37, 2009, r 7; Act No. 40, 2010, s 184","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Regulations largely implement and operationalise powers and safeguards already contained in the Volatile Substance Abuse Prevention Act 2005 (procedural rules, record-keeping, forms and local safeguards). Subsequent amendments noted in the endnotes updated references (for example, recognising local authorities under later Local Government Acts) and added practical procedures (telephone warrant process and formalised forms), but they did not expand the fundamental substantive scope of who may be detained, who may be compelled to treatment, or the powers to search and apprehend under the Act. Changes are procedural and clarifying rather than a material broadening of powers."},"complexity_factors":["Short instrument: 14 regulations plus 2 simple forms in the Schedule","4 defined terms in reg 3 (apprehended child, approved carer, emergency response plan, local authority)","Moderate number of cross-references to the Act (sections 12, 13, 21, 22, 24, 41A, 41B) and to Local Government/Local Court provisions","One moderately nested conditional provision with multiple simultaneous requirements (reg 8 requires all listed conditions be met before a child may be held in a cell)","Procedural steps for telephone-issued warrants require multi-step verification (reg 14) which adds process complexity beyond simple form-filling","Amendment history and interaction with Local Government Act and Local Court amendments require attention for interpretive clarity (not substantive complexity but requires tracking)"],"plain_english_summary":"**What these Regulations do (mechanically)\n\n- Provide detailed, operational rules under the Volatile Substance Abuse Prevention Act 2005. They do not create the core criminal or civil powers — they set out how certain powers under the Act must be exercised.\n\n- Record-keeping: Require what must be recorded when police or authorised persons search, seize volatile substances or apprehend a person (regs 5–7). Required items include brief descriptions of actions, identifying details of the officer/authorised person, date/time/place, age/gender, and details of seized or given substances.\n\n- Holding an apprehended child in a police cell: Specify the strict conditions under which a child taken into protective custody may be held in a police cell (reg 8). All of the following must apply: the station is in the child's council area; the child lives in that council area; a member of the community council or local authority has been consulted and approved holding the child in the cell; an \"approved carer\" provides direct care and supervision while the child is in the cell; and there is an emergency response plan for that police station.\n\n- Approved carer requirements: Define who may be an approved carer (approval by the community council and the police officers at the station) and set minimum attributes — being a fit and proper person, having necessary knowledge/qualifications, and ability to act under the emergency response plan (reg 9).\n\n- Emergency response plans: Require a plan at each police station that sets out actions a responsible officer and an approved carer must take if the child has a medical, psychological or other emergency while in custody (reg 10).\n\n- Treatment warrants and forms: Prescribe the application form for a treatment warrant (Form 1, reg 11), how telephone applications must be made (telephone the nearest Local Court registry, reg 12), the form of the warrant (Form 2, reg 13), and the procedure a magistrate and applicant must follow where a warrant is issued by telephone (reg 14). The warrant authorises authorised officers to enter premises, search for and apprehend the person and to take them to treatment (Form 2).\n\n\nWhy the Regulations exist (official purpose claim)\n\n- The Regulations operationalise the Act's prevention-of-inhalation and child-protection measures by prescribing record-keeping, safeguards for holding children in cells, who may supervise such children, emergency procedures, and the paperwork and procedure for enforcing treatment orders. The stated aim in the Act and Regulations is to prevent volatile-substance inhalation and to protect health and safety; these Regulations give effect to that aim by setting out practical procedures.\n\n\nWho is affected and who pays/decides\n\n- Affected parties: police officers, authorised persons (as defined in the Act), children apprehended under the Act, proposed approved carers, community councils/local authorities, magistrates and Local Court registries, and the agencies that run treatment programs. Businesses are largely unaffected except where they may be the place searched under a treatment warrant.\n\n- Who pays: practical costs fall to police and court registries (time to keep records, prepare/retain warrants, consult community councils, maintain emergency plans) and to community councils/local authorities and approved carers (time to approve carers and participate in consultations). The treatment provider bears the cost of arranging and accepting people brought by warrant.\n\n- Who decides: police officers and authorised persons exercise operational powers; community councils and police at a station jointly approve carers (reg 9); magistrates issue treatment warrants (regs 11–14). A Local Court Judge may issue a warrant by telephone and must record reasons (reg 14).\n\n\nIncentives, trade-offs and implementation issues (concrete mechanisms)\n\n- Compliance burden and record evidencing: The Regulations impose explicit record-keeping obligations on officers and authorised persons (regs 6–7). Those records create administrative effort but also produce documentation useful for accountability and later review or court use.\n\n- Local consultation and approval: Regulation 8 requires community council or local-authority consultation and approval before a child can be held in a cell. That gives local bodies a procedural role; it may slow decisions in some places and shifts some discretionary gatekeeping to community representatives (reg 8). The approvals are localised, so practice may vary across council areas.\n\n- Carer qualifications and liabilities: Approved carers must meet fitness/knowledge/ability criteria and are approved by both the community council and police (reg 9). This creates a screening requirement that protects children but requires recruitment, vetting and ongoing availability of suitable carers; small or remote communities may face capacity constraints.\n\n- Emergency preparedness: Police stations must have an emergency response plan addressing likely medical/psychological incidents (reg 10). The plan reduces risk to the child but requires police stations to develop, maintain and train on those plans.\n\n- Telephone warrant process and safeguards: The Regulations allow a magistrate to issue a treatment warrant on telephone application but require the magistrate to sign an original warrant, give reasons, and have the applicant create and return a certified copy; the judge must compare the returned copy to the original (reg 14). This preserves formality where immediate action is needed, but the process depends on reliable communication and correct completion/return of documents and may create opportunities for procedural mistakes if records are not promptly reconciled.\n\n\nEffects on private enterprise, competition and individual choice\n\n- Direct effect on private enterprise is limited. Businesses may be searched under a treatment warrant (Form 2) if they are a place where the person at risk may be found; that is a narrow, case-by-case intrusion triggered by a magistrate-issued warrant.\n\n- The Regulations primarily regulate public actors (police, courts, local councils) and private individuals in the role of \"approved carer\" or persons subject to treatment warrants. They do not set out licensing, fees or restrictions on market entry.\n\n\nRisks and unintended consequences to watch for (mechanistic)\n\n- Variation in local practice: Requiring community council approval and local emergency plans (reg 8) may produce inconsistent standards between council areas.\n\n- Administrative delays and resourcing pressure: Record-keeping obligations and emergency-plan requirements create recurring administrative work for police and local councils.\n\n- Reliance on informal approvals: The dual-approval model for carers (community council and police, reg 9) could create bottlenecks if suitable carers are scarce, especially in remote areas.\n\n\nKey provisions (quick references)\n\n- Record-keeping: regs 5–7\n- Conditions for holding child in police cell: reg 8\n- Approved carer criteria and approval: reg 9\n- Emergency response plan: reg 10\n- Treatment warrant applications and forms: regs 11–14 and Schedule (Forms 1 & 2)\n\n"},"summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The regulations were originally made in 2006 but have been reprinted (REPV012R1) with a commencement date of 1 July 2021, indicating that the scope and content have likely been amended over time — possibly expanding or refining the original regulatory framework in response to evolving public health priorities and community feedback. Without the full text of the regulations, the precise nature of scope changes cannot be confirmed."},"complexity_factors":["The document provided contains very limited substantive content — metadata only — making full analysis impossible","Regulations by nature are subordinate to a parent Act, requiring knowledge of both instruments to fully understand obligations","The subject matter (volatile substance regulation) involves public health, criminal enforcement, and retail compliance — multiple regulatory domains","The 2006 origin with a 2021 commencement date suggests amendments and reprints have occurred, adding layers of historical complexity","Northern Territory jurisdiction involves unique considerations around remote communities and Indigenous affairs policy"],"plain_english_summary":"## Volatile Substance Abuse Prevention Regulations 2006\n\nThese are regulations (detailed rules that support a broader law) made under the Northern Territory's **Volatile Substance Abuse Prevention Act**. They are administered by the **NT Department of Health**.\n\n### What do these regulations do?\nThey set out the specific rules for preventing the abuse of **volatile substances** — things like petrol, glue, aerosol sprays, and other chemicals that people can inhale to get high ('huffing' or 'sniffing'). These regulations flesh out the practical details of how the parent Act is enforced.\n\n### Who is affected?\n- **Retailers and suppliers** who sell or stock products containing volatile substances\n- **Health and community workers** dealing with people who misuse these substances\n- **NT residents**, particularly in remote and Indigenous communities where volatile substance abuse has historically been a serious public health issue\n- **Police and enforcement officers** who carry out the rules\n\n### Why does it matter?\nVolatile substance abuse (sniffing) causes serious brain damage and can be fatal. These regulations are a key tool in restricting access to dangerous substances and protecting vulnerable community members, particularly young people.\n\n### Current status\nThe regulations have been updated and are currently **in force**, with the most recent version commencing **1 July 2021** (Reprint No. REPV012R1), meaning they have been revised at least once since originally made in 2006."},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The regulations appear to remain tightly focused on their original purpose: operational details for implementing the Volatile Substance Abuse Prevention Act 2005. The amendments over time have been technical updates (changing 'community government council' to 'local authority' to match new local government legislation, updating court references from 'Magistrate' to 'Local Court Judge', formal amendments from statute law revision acts). There is no evidence of scope creep into unrelated areas."},"complexity_factors":["Short length (14 regulations plus 2 forms)","Minimal cross-referencing - mostly refers back to specific sections of the parent Act (Volatile Substance Abuse Prevention Act 2005) rather than complex webs of legislation","Straightforward conditional logic in regulation 8 (five cumulative conditions for holding a child in a cell, clearly listed as (a) through (e))","Only 5 defined terms in regulation 3, with 2 of those being 'see regulation X' references","Simple procedural rules for telephone warrants (regulation 14) with clear step-by-step requirements","Forms in the Schedule are standard templates with checkboxes and fill-in blanks","Some complexity from nested definitions (e.g., 'approved carer' and 'emergency response plan' defined by reference to other regulations)","Amendment history shows multiple updates (2009, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021) but the current text appears consolidated and readable"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this legislation does:**\n\nThese regulations set out the practical rules for how the Northern Territory's Volatile Substance Abuse Prevention Act 2005 actually works on the ground. They deal with three main things:\n\n**1. Record-keeping when police or authorised officers take action**\n- When police or authorised people search someone, seize volatile substances (like petrol, glue, or aerosols that people might sniff to get high), or take someone into protective custody, they must keep detailed records.\n- These records must include: what happened, who did it (name, rank, number), when and where it happened, the person's age and gender, and what substances were involved.\n- If someone is taken into custody, extra details are needed: where they were released, who they were released to, and whether their parents or guardians were told.\n\n**2. When children can be held in police cells**\n- Normally, children taken into protective custody shouldn't be locked in police cells. But these regulations allow it in very specific circumstances:\n  - The child must live in that council area\n  - A local community council member must approve it\n  - An \"approved carer\" (someone properly trained and vetted) must supervise the child directly\n  - There must be an emergency response plan in place\n- Approved carers must be fit and proper people with the right qualifications, approved by both the community council and local police.\n- Emergency response plans must spell out what to do if the child has a medical or psychological crisis.\n\n**3. Treatment warrants (court orders forcing someone into treatment)**\n- If someone with a treatment order isn't following their treatment program, certain officials (assessors, authorised officers, the Chief Health Officer, or lawyers) can apply for a \"treatment warrant.\"\n- The regulations specify the forms to use and allow urgent telephone applications to a Local Court Judge.\n- If a warrant is issued by phone, the applicant fills out copies, and the Judge later checks they match the original.\n- The warrant lets authorised officers enter premises, search for the person, and take them to treatment. It lasts 30 days or until the treatment order ends, whichever comes first.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Children and young people who use volatile substances (\"chroming\" or sniffing)\n- Police officers and authorised officers who deal with them\n- Community councils and local authorities in the NT\n- Approved carers who supervise children in custody\n- Health officials and legal practitioners involved in treatment orders\n- Local Court Judges who issue warrants\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThis legislation tries to balance protecting vulnerable young people from the harms of substance abuse with respecting their rights. It creates a paper trail for accountability, sets strict limits on locking up children (only as a last resort with community approval), and provides a legal pathway to get people into treatment even if they don't want to go. It's particularly relevant for remote Indigenous communities in the NT where petrol sniffing has been a significant health issue."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/volatile-substance-abuse-prevention-regulations-2006","history":"/api/acts/volatile-substance-abuse-prevention-regulations-2006/history","analysis":"/api/acts/volatile-substance-abuse-prevention-regulations-2006/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/volatile-substance-abuse-prevention-regulations-2006/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/volatile-substance-abuse-prevention-regulations-2006/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/volatile-substance-abuse-prevention-regulations-2006/documents"}}