Tauranga's legal high retailers are already fielding concerned customers worried about the impending ban on the products – with one resident asking to purchase $15,000 worth of legal highs.
Special T Discount store operator Mike Lawrence turned down a man offering $15,000 in exchange for a large supply of the synthetic highs yesterday – the first morning after Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne announced all legal highs would be removed from licenced shelves within two weeks.
Click on the video link above to view SunLive's video interviews with Tauranga legal high retailers.
Each brand of synthetic high will undergo individual testing and remain off the market until it is proven to be "low risk".
Mike sees 400-500 people buying legal highs on any normal day but is already noticing an increase in customers, some desperate, since Sunday's announcement.
'People are coming in worried about what is going to happen when they can't get highs anymore.
'I've already had a guy come in and offer me $15,000 for synthetics. Obviously as a responsible retailer I wouldn't sell to him, but this shows what is going to happen over the next few weeks.”
Mike is disappointment by the government's decision, saying most of his custoemers are responsible users.
He is also concerned the ban could prompt people to seek ‘highs' in more dangerous ways, and encourage black-market trade in synthetics.
'People already know how to make them, and obviously there will be people happy to sell the home made products on the sly despite the serious dangers they can cause.”
Adult World owner Kevin Stevens is also concerned the ban will create a more dangerous situation for users and the public.
He is already fielding questions about what alternatives there will be once the legal highs are off the shelves.
His concern is users will turn to more traditional options such as marijuana and methamphetamine. 'They will find substances elsewhere without a doubt.
'The ban is a negative thing. The way the councils and government were controlling it before and where they were heading was a better option. Now the chance of controlling what is in them [synthetic highs] has gone out the window.”
For people who want help to quit legal high use, numerous options are available locally.
Mike runs the Special T consumer exclusion programme, which aims to help people successfully quit the substances.
He has already had numerous phone calls and conversations about the programme since the ban was announced, and says anybody who wants help is welcome to contact him.
'We have a lot of people who perhaps are too ashamed to go to a doctor and admit that they have a bit of a problem, but they will come up to us and ask us about what to do.”
Other support systems are available through the Bay of Plenty Addiction Services for adults and SORTED for youths.
BOPDHB Mental Health and Addiction Services clinical director Dr Sue Mackersey says these services will be available for any person suffering an addiction.
The services give different levels support and advice for people, depending upon the severity of one's addiction.
'It could range from straightforward telephone advice to admission to a specialised treatment programme.”
7 comments
Typical of govt's.
Posted on 29-04-2014 07:20 | By freedomkiwis
So typical of the govt to create a bad situation in the first place and then to turn around and "fix" it....but only after public pressure and because it's an election year. Just what is the govt going to give these addicts in the way of EXTRA resources. These people who use the substances are going to be running scared and possibly dangerous, but I've not heard anything on the news about where they can go for help. National has not down our young people any favours at all through out this entire fiasco of the last few years of legal highs.
.
Posted on 29-04-2014 09:19 | By Sambo Returns
responsible retailer!!!, what a load of codswallop, on this scenario "P" should be legal as well, both substances are heinous and are detrimental to society, if Mike was a responsible retailer he would be putting 25% of his profit margin into a help agency for the addicts this scrounge is creating, all words and rhetoric, the only driving force is profit, and a no care no responsibility attitude.
400-500 on a normal day?
Posted on 29-04-2014 12:46 | By tish
That's a lot of addicts you'd think they'd be lined up on the footpath all day long at that rate but they never are when you drive past. He can go back to selling tobacco products with milk and bread like used to while there are still some smokers left to drag in there but he won't be raking in huge profits off the misery that rubbish causes much longer.
You people must be crazy to think this will deliver a different result
Posted on 29-04-2014 13:10 | By The Tomahawk Kid
You are correct freedomkiwis. This problem was CREATED by government, and now we expect them to fix it. Its like asking the big bad wolf why the sheep are missing! If you think these things are dangerous now, wait and see what happens when they are made illegal. Read some history and see what prohibition does. Banning them is the equivalent of burrying your head in the sand and hoping they will go away. These things only exist because of the govt prohibition of cannabis. Decriminalise cannabis, and these things will disappear as if they never existed. This ban will not fix the problem - it will create more and WORSE problems. (just look at the problems legal highs have given you because cannabis was banned - its the same scenario AGAIN - but for some reason you seem to think you will get a different result!
Why not sue.
Posted on 29-04-2014 14:35 | By raylaur
Instead of banning the substances and making determined users pay a lot more to obtain them, and perhaps resort to crime to obtain the funds,let individuals take responsibility for their actions should suffer unexpected effects.. The tobacco industry got a hard time when someone was harmed if using their product. Why not apply the same criteria to other recreational substances. This could even include alcohol, although it might be hard to pin down the maker or supplier.
Solution.
Posted on 29-04-2014 15:05 | By the kurgan
The only logical solution to this government created fiasco is to fully re-legalise cannabis. A lot of people gave up smoking Mother Earths most beneficial healing plant - Cannabis and took up smoking this synthetic garbage because of draconian drug testing laws now in place.
Test subjects are easy
Posted on 29-04-2014 23:04 | By Bronzewing
James Dunne, a selection of chemists and manufacturers and ALL the scum bags who sell the stuff. Give them the crap for a couple of months. If they reckon it's OK, put it back on the shelves. Problem solved
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