April 28, 2014
Party drug crackdown coming
Associate health Minister and Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia is welcoming a ban on so called legal highs.
The Government has bowed to growing public uproar and has announced it will rush through legislation removing from sale all psychoactive substances which have not got past the interim approval stage.
Mrs Turia says the easy availability of synthetic drugs has had a damaging effect on many whanau.
"I think it’s really important that we protect the wairua of our young people. We have made marijuana illegal and the impact of marijuana is minimal in comparison. I can tell you that because young people have told me that," she says.
Mrs Turia says dire warnings that a ban will force sales underground are similar to the arguments made against efforts to cut down tobacco sales through higher prices and more limited availability.
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