Central Australian Youth Link-Up Service

CAYLUS started as a petrol sniffing prevention project in November 2002 in response to widespread issues in the region at that time. While CAYLUS still remains focussed on preventing sniffing we also work to reduce the impact of other substances like alcohol and gunja on young people in our region.  

CAYLUS works to reduce the impact of substance misuse by reducing supply of, harm done by and demand for substances.

Our activities to reduce supply include supporting the use of Low Aromatic Fuel, often known as Opal fuel (see LAF FAQs and facts) and providing advice and support to retailers of high risk products so that they are managed as well as possible. 

Activities to reduce the demand involve providing better alternatives to substance misuse to at risk young people. This work includes supporting the development of youth programs, providing youth program infrastructure and resources,  working directly with families in remote communities, supporting local Aboriginal youth workers and training and skills development projects. 

Our work to reduce the harm caused by substance misuse in our region includes casework, rehab and community education initiatives 

The work of CAYLUS has been independently evaluated a number of times over the years.   The reports from these evaluations can be viewed on our resources page.