Hamilton’s policy restricting where stores selling legal highs can be located will continue for another five years.
On Thursday (11 October 2018) Hamilton City Council rolled over its Psychoactive Substances Policy which aims to
minimise the harm caused by psychoactive substances by limiting where stores selling those products can be located. The
Policy does not allow a store to sell psychoactive substances outside of the central city, within 100m of a sensitive
site (eg library, school, medial centre) or within 500m of another store selling legal highs.
The Council’s General Manager City Growth Jen Baird says the Policy is robust and working well.
“Hamilton’s policy was a first in New Zealand when it was developed in 2015, we took the lead and a strong stance
against the sale of legal highs in our city,” says Ms Baird.
“This Policy shut down all of the stores selling legal highs in the city basically overnight and the Ministry of Health
has not received any applications to open a new store in Hamilton since.”
The Policy was rolled over without any changes and is due to be reviewed again in 2023.