Bay of Plenty district commander Superintendent Will Loughrin alleged he disregarded the law by continuing to sell the substance \u201cfor recreational use\u201d.<\/p>\n
Loughrin said police seized about 300 canisters.<\/p>\n
The man is the first retailer in the region to be charged under the Psychoactive Substances Act.<\/p>\n
In the statement, police urged members of the public to report retailers selling nangs by calling 105 or Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.<\/p>\n
They also advised people to contact their local council if they found discarded canisters, which can explode if not properly emptied and disposed of as hazardous waste.<\/p>\n
Nitrous oxide has legitimate medical and catering uses, but is illegal to sell<\/a> for recreational use.<\/p>\n Inhaling it may give users a fleeting \u201chigh\u201d feeling, accompanied by hallucinations, but use can pose health and other safety risks.<\/p>\n The issue of people doing nangs was raised last month by Tihiotonga residents<\/a>, who said they were fed up with people doing nangs in their cars, \u201cdancing and yahooing\u201d in the street, littering and ruining their \u201clovely\u201d neighbourhood.<\/p>\n They say their area, particularly the top of Mokoia Drive or further down the hill off Mokoia Drive in the Centennial Park (Rotorua Tree Trust) carpark, has turned into a meet-up point for nang and drug users, and disrespectful partiers.<\/p>\n Rotorua police have also previously raised concerns about people using nangs while driving<\/a>, while a pile of dumped empty canisters was also found<\/a> in the city last year.<\/p>\n Residents are fed up with people parking up in their cars and inhaling nangs on Mokoia Drive and in the Centennial Park (Rotorua Tree Trust) carpark. Photo \/ Kelly Makiha<\/p>\n