Film may deter sniffers

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A movie starring a tiny paper polar bear may help northern children avoid the dangers of gasoline fume addiction.

The National Film Board's animated movie, The Sniffing Bear, is aimed at helping northern children avoid the dangers of inhaling gasoline fumes, said the film's creator Co Hoedeman.

"The Inuit, along with the First Nations, wanted to send a message to the children of the north that sniffing gasoline is hazardous to their health," he said.

The eight-minute film is about a polar bear who finds an old gasoline can in the ruins of an igloo. The bear starts sniffing the gasoline, but is eventually helped by his two friends, Seal and Owl.

The film was originally initiated in mid-1990 by a small group of Native inmates from the La Macaza medium security institution north of Montreal, Hoedeman said.

"During one of my frequent working sessions with (the inmates) at the prison, it became evident that there are many similarities between sniffing and other forms of addiction," Hoedeman said. "We also realized that it is not just a problem of some individual, but actually affects entire communities."

As they talked about the story line, and what it is like to sniff, one of the men related a story of animals that became addicted to sniffing as well, said Hoedeman, who works with the NFB's French Program Animation Studio. From this idea came The Sniffing Bear.

"When the film was finally presented to all the inmates of the prison, one of the spectators noted that the effect of the film to him was 'like looking in the mirror.' His remarks confirmed for me the importance of this project."