The Mount Isa Muscle Association member said turbo-charged engine cars would not perform at their peak if Opal fuel was the only fuel option.

"Any car with a turbo engine would see a significant decrease in performance," he said.

"If Opal fuel was compatible with octane boosters sold in stores like Super Cheap Auto I don't really see it being a big issue... people just have to go out and buy more stuff for their petrol."

Mount Isa Deputy Mayor Brett Peterson wants the city's petrol stations to supply Opal low aromatic fuel (LAF) replacing unleaded 91 to combat youth substance abuse.

Opal was specially designed by British Petroleum to replace unleaded fuel with an octane rating of 91, but all unleaded fuels produce fumes at room temperature sniffers use to get their 'high'.

Malouf Auto Group manager Paul Malouf also said the number of 'normal' cars recommended to take premium unleaded fuel was increasing.

"There are more and more cars on the market these days that are recommended for premium unleaded only, but that said, a car that is recommended can run on regular unleaded as well," he said.

"To be honest most cars have lockable fuel caps as well so getting into cars is getting harder and harder to do."

But Cr Peterson said unattended cars parked on the street can be targeted by sniffers, who siphon fuel out of the vehicle to get their fix rather than purchasing fuel from an actual service station.

He said cars filled with premium unleaded were less common and less likely to be parked on the streets for sniffers to access.

"You wouldn't park your new HSV Holden on the street but the average vehicle out on the road would have unleaded 91 fuel as a standard and those are the car being targeted," Cr Peterson said.

Mr Malouf said something needed to be done about the petrol sniffing issue in Mount Isa but didn't think limiting drivers to certain fuel products was the answer.

"The reality is, in my eyes, if they aren't sniffing fuel they will find something else to sniff," he said.

"Are we really going to spend the rest of our lives changing the products we use for a small percentage of the population who are using it inappropriately."

When asked if maintaining the availability of premium unleaded during the introduction of Opal fuel would be as effective at discouraging sniffing, Cr Peterson said it wouldn't stop the problem totally but was a step in the right direction.

Cr Peterson may not have control over the availability of any unleaded fuel in Mount Isa if the Low Aromatic Fuel Bill, introduced to the Senate as a private member's bill this month, becomes an Act.

Under the Act, Indigenous Health Minister Warren Snowdon would have power over state and territory governments to designate areas as low aromatic fuel areas, specify the use of only low aromatic fuel and regulate the availability of other types of fuel.