Synthetic cannabis crisis: 'Let's not have a Remuera answer for the backstreet of Ōtara'

A cross-party solution is needed to stem the synthetic cannabis crisis, acting Prime Minister Winston Peters says.

Mr Peters said governments had tried and failed to address the issue.

Winston Peters has told the ministers of health, justice, police and customs to their heads with their agencies to

Provisional figures from the coroner show between 40 – 45 people died in the year before

Winston Peters told Morning Report action must be taken urgently.

"If we missed something here, which I suspect we have, because we need to get away from it. find have escaped us so let's get our heads together, analyze everything we've gotten to talk about … we've gotten things done.

"The purveyors of poison have got to be They must be persuaded that they are not a good idea. It was not safe to say that it was okay. "

" Mr Peters was not sure if it meant a greater crack down. "

" We have failed to get on top and I hope in the next six months we will.

"It's really complicated – but let's not have a remuera answer for the back street of Ōtara.

" What I hope we can come up with using the best information that we have, is a cross-party solution that actually works … and on this issue as fast as possible. "

Executive Director of the Drug Foundation Ross Bell

"We need action on the ground now, if you see a lot of the community voices, the parents who have suffered tragedy here, they are not looking for policy responses, they are not looking for tougher penalties, they are looking for help on the ground. "

Mr Bel

"So that St John Ambulance"

"So That St John Ambulance" for example, knowing what is happening, getting to know these issues, getting to know them, waiting list for so long. "