Council to consult on legal high sale areas

Auckland Council’s Regional Strategy and Policy Committee today voted to adopt its proposed draft policy on psychoactive substances and consult on plans that would see the sale of the products restricted throughout the city.

While council cannot legally prevent the substances being sold once licensed by government, it can ensure that the retail outlets selling the products are not near vulnerable communities, schools, or treatment centres for mental health issues or substance abuse.

The decision to approve the draft policy and put it out to public consultation comes while the government has temporarily restricted the sale of the products. It is expected that the consultation and implementation of the policy will be complete ahead of the resumption of licenses being granted by government.

Committee chair councillor George Wood says that the decision to approve the draft policy was the correct one and that public safety should be the number one priority.

“Our priority is to ensure the safety of Aucklanders and to make sure that the most vulnerable people in our society are not overly exposed to these products. So it is important that we are ready to manage the availability of psychoactive substances once government begins to license them again,” he says.

“We have to find a balance between the legal right of the public to purchase licensed products, and the need to ensure that they are not on the doorstep of the people who would be most susceptible to harm from their use.

“I am pleased the committee reached this decision. Now we will make sure that the consultation on the policy will allow Aucklanders to engage on this issue and have their voices heard.”

The draft policy will now move into consultation phase, which is expected to open at the end of the month.

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