Warnings after butane sniffing death

The head of a group dedicated to teaching young people about the dangers of drug use says everyone needs to be aware.

This comes after 12-year-old Darius Claxton died on Friday night after sniffing butane with his friends in a New Brighton car park.

Chair of DARE Canterbury, Malcolm Read, says young people need their parents, family, friends and all the other adults in their life to help with the issue of drug abuse.

"Unfortunately we can put a lot of educational programmes in place where we give them as much priority as we like, but we can never achieve an absolute in result, and keep everybody safe all the time."

As a result of the boy's death, retailers are being urged to think carefully about where they display substances like butane gas.

Murray Trenberth of Well Trust, a Wellington youth alcohol and drug services provider, says products like solvents, glues, aerosols and gases are often the first choice for young people because they are so readily available.

"So, every shopkeeper needs to think, 'where will I put paint thinner, where will I put the glues, where will I put the butane gas, where in the supermarket can you put the hairsprays?'"

Mr Trenberth says parents also need to keep an eye on where they leave such substances.

A post mortem is due to be carried out today on Darius Claxton

Christchurch police say they have identified the store where the group is believed to have bought the canister of butane.

They haven't decided yet whether any charges can be laid relating to the sale of the product.

The death has been referred to the coroner.

Photo: Darius Claxton (Facebook)