An enraged teen in withdrawal from legal highs went crazy last week, using his push-scooter to smash up cars in a city car park.
The 17-year-old's rampage, which began when his father refused to give him money to buy NotPot, is being cited by police as an example of the ravaging effects on the community from legal highs.
The toll is of concern to Taranaki police - and there are still more than two months to go before the law to control them comes into effect.
The Psychoactive Substances Act does not become law until August 1. It is expected to remove the legal artificial cannabis products now on the shelves because sellers will be required to prove the product is safe.
In the meantime, police and schools are dealing with an increase in crime and out-of-control behaviour across the board they believe is directly related to artificial cannabis products.
The damage the youth caused during his destructive tirade would cost about $10,000 to repair, New Plymouth community policing boss Senior Sergeant Terry Johnson said.
Grabbing his scooter, he used it like a softball bat to smash cars in the KFC carpark then the Burger King car park across the road.
His actions, before noon on Tuesday, had traumatised the elderly people whose cars were wrecked, as well as the children who witnessed the violence.
"He threatened a woman in her car. Two young children, aged 11 and 6, also witnessed their family's car being destroyed. It had only just been bought the day before. One child was still having nightmares," Mr Johnson said.
"That's the aftermath that people don't see."
Police caught up with him 20 minutes later in Young St and he was locked up for the night.
The youth was still "bouncing off the walls" of his cell the next morning, Mr Johnson said. He pleaded guilty in court last week to four charges of wilful damage and is to be sentenced on August 5.
"We accept that legislative change is going to make a difference but we have still got two months to go," Mr Johnson said.
About 20 legal highs have been tested and banned by the government but manufacturers are merely reinventing and rebranding the drugs.
He said there could be "fire sale" selloffs of the drugs before they become illegal.
Mr Johnson said the police were concerned that, despite knowing the harm being caused, dairies and other outlets would continue to sell the drugs because they are driven by the high profit margins.
The wholesale cost of a packet was about $3 and it was being sold by retailers for $20, he says.
He praised the action of a Stratford dairy owner Peter Chen, who removed the legal highs from his shelves after being the focus of community protests.
- ? Fairfax NZ News
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8719695/Legal-highs-sent-teenager-on-rampage
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