The Christian Heritage Party Health spokesperson, Gael Donoghue, is asking Mr Wyatt Creech Health Minister to ban the importation of the herbal Ecstasy cigarettes currently available in Australia, Many New Zealand parents are concerned that they may be marketed here, and are alarmed when they are told there is no legislation to prevent this.

Mrs Donoghue said, “We believe that the marketing sends the message that the cigarettes contain herbs that smell and taste like cannabis. To titillate the young with this message and then to name the cigarettes Ecstasy, which is currently the ‘party drug of choice’ is totally unacceptable, given the awful track record of both illegal drugs on the lives of young people indulging in the drug scene.

“In a recent Auckland survey of 5000 young people it was revealed by the University Alcohol and Public Health Research Unit that there was an increase in the use of marijuana as a ‘recreational drug’. Also that the use of ecstasy, an hallucinogenic stimulant which can cause death quickly because it stops the normal processing of fluids in the body, has doubled. The Customs services in Wellington seized 9000 ecstasy tablets in May and June this year. The dealers are after our young people’s health, no question. Now we are witnessing a ‘pretend’ way of capturing them at a younger age with these herbal cigarettes – as well as trying to hook them into the smoking habit,” she said.

“The Christian Heritage Party calls on the Health Minister to find a legislative way to ban these cigarettes. Of course it can be done when there is a will. Witness the immediate ability of this parliament to legislate in hours when it felt threatened by a boat load of refugees purported to be making for our shores!” said Mrs Donoghue. “New Zealand statistics are so bad now in the drink/drug teen scene, why add to the problem?” she asked.

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