Katikati has a problem with people addicted to drugs – and if legal highs can't be banned Western Bay District Council needs to make it tougher to sell them.

That was the message from Te Puke and Katikati residents who pleaded with Western Bay councillors at this morning's hearings into a local policy on psychoactive substances.

Katikati resident Anne Bowling, set to present her petition to ban the sale of psychoactive substances within the town's CBD to council this morning. It has 1500 signatures.

Katikati Community Resource manager Chris Ridder says she wants to see council follow Hamilton's lead and put in place 'as many restrictions as possible”.

'In our role working in the community we know we have an addiction problem in Katikati – we'd like to see this committee talking to Police, the local pharmacist, medical centre and probation services.”

Chris says the centre provides youth programmes and is also running new courses on addiction, so her staff are well-sighted of what's happening in the community.

'The board is a good representation of the community and fells quite strongly there should be no psychoactive substances [sold in the town] at all.”

She points to Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne's comments to TV One's Seven Sharp programme last Thursday where he said councils can be strict on sales restrictions.

'He said the councils can go as far as they want in restricting it,” says Chris.

Western Bay Mayor Ross Paterson asked Chris if a total ban – not currently legal – would stop the problem.

'What would happen to the [legal high] traders? Are we going to drive it underground?”

Chris responded, saying restricting the sale as much as possible will give police more powers to control the substance's effect on the community.

'The main issue is making sure, for young people and mums, to make it more difficult to get started.

'If it is not banned, we want it as restricted as possible.”

Katikati Community Resource manager Chris Ridder tells the council Katikati already ash a drug addiction problem – so it needs to make tough legal high retail rules.

Te Puke resident Margaret Edge says if she had her way, there'd be no drugs on offer in her town at all.

Katikati resident Anne Bowling presented her petition to ban the sale of psychoactive substances within the town's CBD with 1500 signatures, to the hearings' chair Gwenda Deputy Mayor Gwenda Merriman.

She told SunLive she intended to address the task at hand in her submission – limiting the area legal high retailers could operate.

Anne says the Western Bay council can adapt a sensitive site list like Hamilton, adopt the 100m radius around the sites, and make a CBD exclusion zone.

'You can think outside the town square for a solution. You can give the 200 people at the public meeting [last year] what they asked for – to have one outlet only outside the town centre.

'And if won't consider that, then you must create a family-friendly zone in the northern 400m from Uretara Bridge in Katikati to Jocelyn Street, where strictly prohibited – as requested by the 1500 petitioners.

'They have the right to expect that you will put their welfare above that of the drug peddlers.”

Donegal Place resident Dawn Blain, went into bat for elderly residents, saying no one wants the substance sold near their homes, but admited 'if it is banned it might go underground”.

Dawn says she also worries for young people, who will 'try it out for laughs or be peer-pressured into it”.

Te Puke resident Margaret Edge says one legal retailer in her town has changed its name since a protest against the sale of psychoactive substances came into force last April, and the store has also began selling other products.

'It's now selling gifts, which is bringing other people into that shop.”

'If I had my own way there'd be no drugs in the Te Puke at all. But if you can't stop it [being sold] – surely you can make a bylaw and make it tough.”

Ross confirmed the Psychoactive Substances Regulatory Authority regulate the industry – not the council – but he supports moving such shops of the main street.