Wednesday 18 May 2022 07:55 AM Woolworths' high-tech security measures to stop deodorant cans from being ... trends now
Supermarket giant Woolworths is taking extraordinary steps to keep its deodorant cans in-store as the huffing crisis continues to wreak havoc on young lives across Australia.
Coles and Woolworths started locking up their deodorant can supplies last year in a number of Australian towns in a bid to stop inhalant and substance abuse.
The practice, commonly known as huffing or chroming has become a worrying health issue in some regions, where people inhale the contents of deodorant cans to get high.
In towns where the abuse occurred, Woolies and Coles began locking their deodorant cans behind cages, or keeping them behind the service desk.
But the Woolworths in Logan, west of Brisbane, has taken a more high-tech approach to keep their cans on the shelves.
Shoppers ring the door bell for assistance and are then greeted by a staff member
The glass cabinets are an easier option for staff, as opposed to keeping them behind the service desk, a Woolworths spokesperson said
A recent TikTok video, posted by user @Randomness_Finds, revealed the way Woolies customers can purchase the cans.
They press a door bell, fused to the front of the glass doors and labelled 'press me for assistance'.
The button calls for a staff member who then uses their finger print to unlock the glass doors so the customer can retrieve their chosen deodorant.
Woolworths began, on advice from local police and community groups, locking up their deodorant in some parts of the Northern Territory and in the Queensland town of Mount Isa in July last year.
That trial has since been
