Letters: Tauranga City Council should move ahead with pokies plan

The Tauranga City Council should move ahead with its pokies plan, a reader says.

Forge ahead with pokies plan

Yes please Tauranga City Council - forge ahead with your proposal to reduce the amount of pokie machines in our city (News, October 24).

Last week I popped into a Wharf St cafe for a coffee at 10.30am, and was gobsmacked the only other customers were half a dozen people in the adjoining pokie den.

I will give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they work hours outside 9am-5pm, but it's hard not to wonder about the link to all the child poverty we hear of when that's the choice of a morning's "recreation".

Fiona McAllister
Mount Maunganui
Legalising cannabis

I refer to the editorial comment by Peter Williams about the legalisation of cannabis in New Zealand (Opinion, October 27). Aren't we supposed to be banning smoking?

It can't be good for your lungs. Why do people have to take drugs? Legalising cannabis will make more carnage on the roads.

The police are non-existent. Even now there is no testing for drug use. Just another downward spiral for humanity.

Take a look at what is now happening in Holland.

Barbara and John Reckin
Tutukaka

Psychological damage

The government allowed "legal highs" to be sold in New Zealand, contributing to the psychological damage and deaths of many people in our country.

They need to take a serious look at their choices around drugs in this country. Could we have a similar system to how we check food that is sold in New Zealand established?

Tracey Laxon
Auckland

BOP