Protests against sale of legal highs

Protest rallies calling for the government to ban legal highs were held in Napier and Hastings yesterday.

Protests were held in Napier and Hastings, as well as other centres around the country yesterday, calling for the government to ban the sale of legal highs.

Nearly 100 people protested near the Adult Selections shop, which is licensed to sell legal highs in Napier, while a smaller group later protested in Hastings.

Similar protests were held in other towns and cities around the country and came after Napier Mayor Bill Dalton accused the "wimpish" Government letting down New Zealanders by refusing to ban psychoactive substances.

"The Government has absolutely wimped out on this one," Mr Dalton said. "They tell us their regulatory regime is an experiment. If that is the case, then it is an experiment that is failing and resulting in a new wave of addicts in our country."

His comments come after Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne listed Napier and Hastings as cities actively "restricting" the sale of legal highs on TV1 on Thursday.

"I completely disagree with the comments made by [Dunne] on Seven Sharp. Ironically he held up Napier as one of the few cities making the most of their so-called power to 'restrict' the sale of these vile things. We don't want them in our city.

"Why should we have to spend our time looking for loopholes to prevent them from being sold? One shop is one shop too many.

We want them banned."

Mr Dunne told Hawke's Bay Today that Mr Dalton appeared unaware the Psychoactive Substances Act was passed by 119 votes to 1, with only John Banks voting against because of potential product treatment on animals.

"It [was] the will of a near unanimous Parliament rather than a Government policy. Such cross-party unanimity of view on such a controversial issue is not a frequent occurrence in Parliament."

A blanket ban on all psychoactive substances was the only answer, Mr Dalton said.