All remaining legal highs to be withdrawn from sale
Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne announced that when parliament resumes the government will introduce and pass under urgency legislation removing from sale all remaining so called ‘legal highs’.
“While there has been a substantial reduction in the number of these products available and the number of outlets from which they can be sold, reports of severe adverse reactions continue to be received by the National Poisons Centre and Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring” says Mr Dunne.
It has been impossible to attribute these adverse effects to any particular products and in the absence of that ministers accepted my recommendation at cabinet last Tuesday to end the transitional period, taking all products with interim approval off the market.
“I will bring to parliament amending legislation to put this measure in place, to be introduced and passed through all stages under urgency on 8 May and come into force the day after receiving the Royal Assent” says Mr Dunne.
New Zealand First Spokesperson for Social Policy Le’aufa’amulia Asenati Lole-Taylor is calling for Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne to step down after he announced a hasty blanket ban on legal highs.
Prime Minister John Key should also take responsibility for bringing back an inadequate minister,” says Mrs Lole-Taylor.
“Mr Dunne’s sudden u-turn on legal highs comes nearly a year after he put a weak law through that did nothing to end the growing crisis.
“He sat on his hands while a culture of synthetic drug taking was being embedded in our communities.
“The number of people using legal highs is now vast and families, communities, police and hospitals must now deal with a new stream of addicted users.
“Saying that the delayed announcement of the ban was to avoid stockpiling of legal high products is a lame attempt to distract from the real issue – his mess.
“The serious threat to the health of New Zealand families and communities posed by the sale of legal highs was painstakingly obvious. The Government should have addressed the issue appropriately years ago.
“There was never anything positive to come out of synthetic drugs – only misery. We saw frightening evidence of the major health problems they cause, and their direct influence on domestic and family violence.
“New Zealand First has pushed for an outright ban on legal highs since last year after the Psychoactive Substances Act came into force because it was a major concern brought to us by people in the community.
“This legal highs shambles is yet another example of a Government that is completely out-of-touch,” says Mrs Lole-Taylor.
Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne announced that when parliament resumes the government will introduce and pass under urgency legislation removing from sale all remaining so called ‘legal highs’. “While there has been a substantial reduction in the number of these products available and the...
Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne announced that when parliament resumes the government will introduce and pass under urgency legislation removing from sale all remaining so called ‘legal highs’.
“While there has been a substantial reduction in the number of these products available and the number of outlets from which they can be sold, reports of severe adverse reactions continue to be received by the National Poisons Centre and Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring” says Mr Dunne.
It has been impossible to attribute these adverse effects to any particular products and in the absence of that ministers accepted my recommendation at cabinet last Tuesday to end the transitional period, taking all products with interim approval off the market.
“I will bring to parliament amending legislation to put this measure in place, to be introduced and passed through all stages under urgency on 8 May and come into force the day after receiving the Royal Assent” says Mr Dunne.
New Zealand First Spokesperson for Social Policy Le’aufa’amulia Asenati Lole-Taylor is calling for Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne to step down after he announced a hasty blanket ban on legal highs.
Prime Minister John Key should also take responsibility for bringing back an inadequate minister,” says Mrs Lole-Taylor.
“Mr Dunne’s sudden u-turn on legal highs comes nearly a year after he put a weak law through that did nothing to end the growing crisis.
“He sat on his hands while a culture of synthetic drug taking was being embedded in our communities.
“The number of people using legal highs is now vast and families, communities, police and hospitals must now deal with a new stream of addicted users.
“Saying that the delayed announcement of the ban was to avoid stockpiling of legal high products is a lame attempt to distract from the real issue – his mess.
“The serious threat to the health of New Zealand families and communities posed by the sale of legal highs was painstakingly obvious. The Government should have addressed the issue appropriately years ago.
“There was never anything positive to come out of synthetic drugs – only misery. We saw frightening evidence of the major health problems they cause, and their direct influence on domestic and family violence.
“New Zealand First has pushed for an outright ban on legal highs since last year after the Psychoactive Substances Act came into force because it was a major concern brought to us by people in the community.
“This legal highs shambles is yet another example of a Government that is completely out-of-touch,” says Mrs Lole-Taylor.
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