A handful of psychoactive substances are urgently being removed from shelves following reports of harmful adverse effects.

The five products, AK47, Anarchy, Karma, Northern Lights Primo and Voodoo, are all banned from sales.

This is after they were previously assessed by the Ministry of Health and in August judged low risk enough to be sold to the public.

The withdrawal of these products comes after evidence of harm gathered from the Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring and the National Poisons Centre.

Associate Health Minister Todd McClay is welcoming the decision to remove the psychoactive products from the market.

Common adverse effects include acute nausea and vomiting, acute anxiety episodes and prolonged withdrawal symptoms.

'These withdrawals underscore the effectiveness of the Psychoactive Substances Act in getting harmful products off the shelves,” says Todd.

'During the interim licensing period the Authority has continued to show it has teeth and is able to act decisively when products are shown to be harmful.”

Before the Psychoactive Substances Act 2013 came into force between 200 and 300 legal high products were sold from an estimated 3000-4000 outlets nationwide. Since the Act came into effect last July, there are now only 41 products sold under interim licences from less than 170 outlets.

Under the Psychoactive Substances Bill stores with a licence can sell the R18 products. The law does prohibit the products being sold to anyone under 18 years, bans dairies from selling legal highs and places restrictions on the labelling and packaging requirements, advertising and health warnings.

Anyone found breaching the rules faces up to two-years in prison or a fine of up to $500,000.

'I am also pleased with the appointment of 23 enforcement officers who will specialise in monitoring and enforcing adherence to the Act.”

'I am satisfied that one of my last acts as Associate Health Minister is to see the removal of yet another suite of products that would have risked the health of young New Zealanders.

Todd says while acknowledging the need for harm minimisation of the Act, he is not a fan of these products and is delighted to see five more taken off the shelves.

He adds products being sold under the interim licensing system will now be closely monitored.

'It's important to note that before the legislation came into effect not only could they be sold there was no legal ability to control them or withdrawal them. Actually with issuing this withdrawal notice effectively these five are banned as with any other psychoactive that does not have a licence.

'Slowly the legislation is giving us control over the industry but there is still some work to do with the finer points of regulation.”