The sale of legal highs in Whangarei could be restricted to a three-block zone and opening hours limited as Whangarei District Council looks to control the harm caused by psychoactive substances.
But business owners surveyed in the proposed legal high zone don't want them sold there, or anywhere for that matter.
The council's planning committee will meet tomorrow to consider a draft psychoactive substances policy. If the committee backs the plan it will go to the full council for approval and then out for public consultation. The draft policy, if approved, would restrict the sale of the substances - also known as legal highs - to three blocks off Walton St - Lower Cameron St, Clyde St and Albert St. However, seven businesses in the streets approached by the Northern Advocate yesterday were against the plan, with all saying they would prefer legal highs to be banned totally.
In his report to the meeting, council community services manager Owen Thomas said there were four approved legal high retailers in Whangarei and international research showed there was a greater likelihood of harm through increased availability.
Parliament last year introduced the Psychoactive Substances Act, giving local authorities the right to develop locally approved products policy to determine where such products could be sold. The act was introduced after concerns about legal highs and their affects on the community, and retailers selling the substances have to get an interim licence from the Psychoactive Substances Regulatory Authority to trade.